Uzbek president, top Chinese diplomat discuss bilateral ties, Afghanistan

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Wednesday discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Afghanistan with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in the capital Tashkent, ahead of a fourth ministerial conference of countries neighboring Afghanistan on Thursday.

“Urgent issues of further strengthening of Uzbekistan-China strategic partnership relations and expansion of multifaceted cooperation were discussed. … During the meeting, it was noted with great satisfaction that bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented level due to political will and joint efforts,” a statement by the Uzbek presidency read.

The statement said the bilateral trade has doubled, while the number of joint ventures and projects has tripled, and $11 billion worth of investments have been attracted from Beijing.

It also said regular flights, interregional relations, educational and cultural-humanitarian exchanges between the two countries have become more active during the post-COVID-19 period.

The statement further noted that Mirziyoyev underlined the importance of careful preparation for his upcoming state visit to China and for the Central Asia-China summit, scheduled to be held in May.

“The importance of the urgent implementation of the construction project of the ‘Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China’ railway, whose technical documents are being prepared today, was noted,” the statement added.

Mirziyoyev and Qin exchanged opinions on international and regional issues, stressing the need to continue close coordination for “the peaceful resolution of the situation in Afghanistan and practical assistance to the socio-economic recovery to the country,” it concluded.

Qin Gang later met with acting Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, and they talked on an “extensive agenda,” focusing on strengthening the bilateral relations and outlining priorities for the coming years, according to a Twitter statement by Saidov.​​​​​​​