President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Mirziyoyev,
Thank you for finding the time to come to St Petersburg for the international economic forum. You are a guest of honour, and tomorrow we will have an opportunity to discuss various issues and bilateral economic relations in the public sphere, as well as the situation in the region and the world. We are interested to hear your views on the current developments in the economy.
Today, we will also attend an exciting event – the ground-breaking ceremony for a large and ambitious project, Uzbekistan’s first nuclear power plant built to a Russian design. I know that you have been personally working on it for a long time.
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Yes, for a long time.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, scrutinising the details took a long time. I am confident that you have chosen the best option for Uzbekistan out of all those offered.
Overall, our economies are developing successfully. We are pleased with what is taking place in Uzbekistan’s economy under your guidance. Our trade is growing; it increased by over 12 percent last year, which is a very good indicator.
We maintain regular contacts with you, and there is always much to discuss because the scope of our relations keeps growing. This also concerns mutual investments. Russian investments in Uzbekistan are growing dynamically and have gained good momentum. Most importantly, both elements are benefiting our countries.
We are delighted to see you again. Welcome.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Mr Putin, first allow me to thank you for the invitation.
In fact, we are delighted to be here with a large team; we are already taking part in all panels of this significant forum. This is the first time we have done so at this level. We have already started talks and meetings.
I think that the plenary session tomorrow will offer an opportunity to discuss many issues, including our economies. I am preparing for this, as we have discussed it on numerous occasions. I am confident that this will be very useful for our mutually beneficial cooperation and for the results of our agreements.
Second, this is a historic day. For the first time, Rosatom will build a hybrid station, with two small reactors and two high-capacity units. As you mentioned, this has been a long process, involving numerous talks and debates. But we have ultimately made the correct choice – we need this plant because our economy is growing, and it needs a lot of energy.
As I have told you more than once, Uzbekistan is the world’s fifth-largest uranium producer and tenth-largest in terms of reserves. This will secure our future for 60 years ahead. We need 19.5 tonnes of uranium for our hybrid nuclear power plant. We are engaged in serious discussions on this with our Rosatom colleagues, and I think the result will be mutually beneficial. This is a strategic energy project for both Russia and Uzbekistan, and we do not intend to stop at these projects.
As you pointed out, our trade is growing. We have held a meeting of the intergovernmental commission, co-chaired by our prime ministers, an interregional forum, and the sixth Innoprom fair. All issues we have coordinated with you are progressing well.
Indeed, our trade is approaching the level we coordinated, as you noted – $20 billion a year. In 2025, it was $13 billion. I believe it will continue to grow in 2026, because we have large projects underway. I am confident our meeting will provide them with further momentum.
Our team has ambitious plans and a large cultural programme, which includes performances at the Mariinsky Theatre, and exhibitions have already opened at the Hermitage Museum. We have brought a comprehensive programme covering all spheres.
Thank you very much once again.
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