On August 28, the second Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan Expert Council meeting was held via videoconference.

The event, organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) and the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KISS), was attended by representatives of expert analytical and scientific-academic circles of the two countries.

The meeting of the expert council was dedicated to the results of the recent state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kazakhstan.

Speaking with a welcoming speech, the ISRS Director Eldor Aripov noted that the summit of the leaders of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was significant in many ways. The first meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council was held. According to the expert, “This is the first example of such close interaction between the two Central Asian countries, which indicates a special level of trust”.

At the same time, the ISRS Director focused on several important agreements reached during the visit. Among them is the adopted Strategic Partnership and Alliance Program for 2024-2034, which covered almost all issues of bilateral cooperation.

Eldor Aripov focused on the positive trade and economic cooperation dynamics between the two countries. According to him, over the past 7 years, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has more than doubled, amounting to about $4.5 billion. In this context, it was emphasized that the goal of the heads of state to bring trade volume to $10 billion in the coming years is reasonably achievable.

According to the expert, the solid portfolio of new agreements and contracts adopted following the visit, exceeding $7 billion, was important in this regard. The presidents launched large joint investment projects in energy, transport and logistics, metallurgy, textile, agriculture, and construction, as well as between regions. 

Following the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness to continue working together to find new directions and drivers for developing cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

For these purposes, an agreement was reached to develop the Expert Council’s work plan for 2024-2025.

UzA