At a meeting with representatives of the mass media, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev shared their assessments of the talks.
At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan stated that the people of Uzbekistan sincerely welcome the large-scale transformations and remarkable achievements of Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev.
“You have fulfilled the long-standing dream of your father and every citizen of Azerbaijan – restored the territorial integrity of the country. You are actively working on the modernization of the economy and infrastructure of the returned territories”, the Leader of Uzbekistan noted.
It was emphasized that Azerbaijan is a reliable ally and strategic partner of Uzbekistan. We share common goals, views, and aspirations. Our people are bound by history, shared values, language, and culture, which have always served as the foundation of fraternal and trusting relationships.
The President of Uzbekistan highly appreciated the fruitful outcomes of the second session of the Supreme Interstate Council held today, which resulted in the adoption of important decisions and agreements.
It was noted that significant preparatory work has been undertaken for this summit. The first Interparliamentary Forum, a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, regional forums, rectors’ forums, political consultations, and several cultural events were successfully held.
Special attention was paid during the talks to the full-scale implementation of the Treaty on Allied Relations between the two countries.
The mutual intention to strengthen close contacts and continue mutual support on international platforms was confirmed. Coincidence of positions on many pressing global and regional issues was noted. In this context, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that Uzbekistan stands for resolving all acute problems and conflicts exclusively through peaceful means, using diplomatic efforts.
During the talks, agreements were reached on taking joint practical measures to increase the volume of bilateral trade and investment to one billion dollars in the coming years. A separate Program for the promotion of trade and cooperation has been adopted.
According to the President, existing formats of cooperation will be expanded, and new ones will be launched to enhance the effectiveness of ongoing work. These include the Council of Entrepreneurs and the Forum of Industrial and Economic Zones.
The leaders paid special attention to strengthening transport interconnectivity. It was emphasized that the Middle Corridor, which connects our countries and allows us to communicate with other strategic routes, is being actively developed. Thus, since spring, electronic permits have been launched on this corridor. At the same time, the volume of Uzbek cargo transportation has grown by a quarter. Their annual volume already exceeds one million tons.
Progress was noted in promoting a joint project to export green energy to Europe.
Additionally, today, the construction of the Uzbekistan Park in Baku will be launched, and a new building of the Uzbekistan Embassy in Azerbaijan will be opened.
It was noted that in parallel, the projects of the future Azerbaijan Park and the unique tourist complex “Sea Breeze” in Uzbekistan are being actively prepared.
In connection with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two brotherly countries this year, an agreement was reached to jointly host major events, concerts, and youth forums dedicated to this significant milestone.
In conclusion, the President of Uzbekistan thanked his Azerbaijani counterpart for supporting joint projects and cooperation programs. He expressed confidence that the results of the current state visit to Azerbaijan would contribute to further strengthening allied relations, as well as to the goals of sustainable development and prosperity of brotherly countries and peoples.
UzA