President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Mr President, members of the delegation,
Once again, I warmly welcome you to Uzbekistan. It is a sincere pleasure to see you all here in Tashkent today.
We deeply appreciate that you have chosen our country for one of your first foreign visits following your re-election. This underscores the highest level and the exceptional nature of the current bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Russia. Your state visit can truly be deemed historic, as it marks the beginning of a new chapter in our comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance.
I would like to reiterate that Uzbekistan-Russia cooperation has reached an unprecedented level, encompassing all aspects of interstate interaction. During our meeting in a restricted format, held in a spirit of openness, trust, and mutual understanding, the President of Russia and I, metaphorically with a pencil in hand, reviewed all the issues on our extensive agenda.
We specifically focused on implementing the instructions adopted at last year’s meeting in Moscow and analysed the results of our joint efforts in key areas. These include trade, industrial cooperation, energy, agriculture, innovations, education, healthcare, migration, security, and numerous other issues on our cooperation agenda. We exchanged views and outlined future steps. Additionally, we will hear brief reports from delegation members with specific proposals on all the main areas.
Colleagues,
Russia is a key strategic partner and ally of our country. We are committed to advancing and strengthening our multifaceted cooperation.
Firstly, we advocate for the continued development of an active political dialogue and exchanges. Our goal is to sustain and expand consistent, intensive contacts at the levels of parliaments, governments, ministers, departments, regions, as well as expert and business circles. We will fully use the capabilities of effective tools for promoting practical cooperation through the joint commission at the level of heads of government and the intergovernmental commission. We propose holding their next meetings by the end of this year.
It is also essential to maintain regular consultations among political departments. Close interaction within international and regional structures, including the United Nations, the CIS, the SCO, and other multilateral platforms, should continue.
Second, we make the expansion of cooperation in trade and the economy a priority. Russia is traditionally our large trading partner. According to our statistics, since the beginning of the year, trade increased by 30 percent, and over the last seven years it grew 2.5 times, while the structure has changed dramatically with an increase in the share of products with high added value.
Today Mr Putin and I agreed on a new goal: to reach the trade volume of US$30 billion in the near future. We have all the necessary potential and capacities. In order to do this, separate roadmaps will be adopted with complex measures, such as measures to support mutual supplies, phytosanitary control and technical regulation, and the opening of logistics hubs. Next month we will open a trade mission of Uzbekistan in Russia to fast-track the implementation of trade deals and economic projects.
We believe it is important to continue the work to assess and identify extra reserves to increase our trade, including as part of import substitution programmes, at the expert level.
Third, we had a detailed discussion of priority tasks and specific projects of industrial cooperation between our leading enterprises.
Let me cite some numbers to illustrate the scale of cooperation. Today there are over 3,000 joint enterprises and projects in Uzbekistan. Their number has doubled over several years. The cooperation project portfolio is about US$45 billion. A new project was developed specially for our meeting, worth over US$20 billion in total.
Never before in our cooperation have there been indicators like this on a substantive industrial agenda. These include cooperation in energy, metallurgy, petrochemistry, mechanical engineering, mining, agriculture, logistics, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and many other areas.
Joint projects are totally mutually beneficial and involve using the most advanced technologies and equipment. We are launching a joint investment platform to promote these projects.
Fourth, cooperation in the energy complex is a traditional priority in cooperation. Today, Russia is our strategic partner in the supply of natural gas, oil, and petroleum products. Thanks to your support, last year we began receiving Russian natural gas via the existing pipeline in reverse mode. There are agreements to upgrade the gas transportation system, increase the supplies of gas, oil, and petroleum products, and implement projects together with leading Russian hydrocarbon processing companies.
Today, we will sign an important agreement to proceed with the construction of a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. After extensive discussions on the conditions and technical aspects, we have reached a mutual understanding and are ready to expedite the implementation of this strategic project.
Fifth, I am particularly pleased to highlight the dynamic and mutually beneficial cooperation between our regions. Last April, delegations from 65 regions of the Russian Federation participated in the INNOPROM exhibition in Tashkent. Just last week, the leaders of all regions of Uzbekistan visited Russia.
Mr President, we appreciate your support for the proposal to transform the Forum of the Regions into the Council of the Regions of Uzbekistan and Russia, to be chaired by the heads of state. I believe this is a significant development, and I am confident that by not interfering with the regions but supporting them, we will get a much more effective result. Today, as I mentioned, we will hold the council’s first meeting and support plans for new major interregional cooperation projects. It is gratifying to see that the heads of Russian regions are presenting a comprehensive programme for joint cooperation. I believe this platform will yield positive outcomes.
In the restricted format discussions, we covered various crucial areas, including food security, projects in the sphere of innovations, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. We also devoted significant attention to the sensitive topic of labour migration, emphasising the need for organised collaboration and the implementation of efficient mechanisms. We eagerly anticipate progress in all these areas.
Colleagues,
We plan to maintain active exchanges in culture and arts, science, education, healthcare, tourism, youth affairs, and sports.
Prior to your visit to Tashkent, major conferences gathering rectors from top engineering and technical universities and heads of medical institutions were held here. Dozens of agreements were forged regarding scientific and practical exchanges, joint programmes and projects, as well as the establishment of centres and branches of Russian universities, including the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
Additionally, a cultural cooperation programme until 2026 will be adopted today.
I would like to highlight the consistently vibrant cultural exchanges we have experienced in recent years. Tashkent and Moscow, along with other cities in our countries, regularly host concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, and film premieres.
Mr President, our agenda is substantial; it is impossible to address all facets of Uzbekistan-Russia cooperation in a single speech.
I want to underscore that I gave instructions to all the ministers and department heads of Uzbekistan who are present here today to actively advance our joint projects. We will adopt roadmaps with implementation mechanisms for each direction. We have given special attention to the challenges we face, and I believe these issues will also be addressed in the roadmaps.
I am confident that the outcomes of our meeting will contribute to the enhancement of our bonds of friendship, strategic partnership, and alliance.
Now, I would gladly give the floor to President Putin.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Mr Mirziyoyev, colleagues, friends,
As Mr Mirziyoyev and I have agreed, I am making one of my first visits to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, after assuming the office of the President, after the re-election and formation of the new Government. This is no coincidence, first and foremost, because Uzbekistan is our strategic partner and reliable ally. Our close, friendly relations are on the rise, developing dynamically based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.
Mr President and I keep always in contact, and personally oversee all the current issues in our bilateral relations. I am confident that this will continue to be the case.
Your visit to Russia in October 2023 gave a great boost to our cooperation. Russian ministries and agencies have been actively working to implement the agreements we reached during that visit. I believe that today’s talks will be substantive and successful. I am confident that the joint statement you and I have prepared, which reflects the main tasks for further promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields, will also play a key role in strengthening our regulatory framework.
Moreover, an impressive package of intergovernmental, interdepartmental, interregional and commercial agreements will be signed, covering cooperation in trade, industry, peaceful nuclear energy, and, as you have just mentioned, culture, science, and education.
I would like to note that Russia is one of Uzbekistan’s leading trade partners. This was discussed during our restricted attendance meeting. The volume of bilateral trade is growing rapidly. It is also worth mentioning that, due to your position, we are creating favourable conditions for direct investment, resulting in increasing direct Russian investment in Uzbekistan each year. Today, it has already reached an impressive figure of almost US$10 billion. I am confident that if all the plans we discussed during our restricted attendance meeting are implemented (and I have no doubts about this), direct investment will increase considerably and contribute to Uzbekistan’s economic development.
About 3,000 enterprises with Russian capital operate in Uzbekistan, while about 700 companies with Uzbek capital are active in Russia. We are witnessing positive trends in trade and investment. The joint commission, led by our countries’ prime ministers, is also facilitating this process.
The intergovernmental commission is also actively engaged in this work. Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov co-chairs the commission. I hope that his new position will enable him to successfully address the issues we have been formulating over the past few years.
Apart from the economic cooperation programme for 2022–2026, we have approved a list of measures following our talks in Moscow in October 2023, as I mentioned earlier.
In April 2024, Tashkent hosted the joint INNOPROM. Central Asia International Industrial Trade Fair, which was an outstanding event. Over 400 companies, including Rosatom, Rostec, KAMAZ, Sber, Severstal and others, represented Russia.
I would like to note separately that, on October 7, 2023, you, the President of Kazakhstan and I launched a pipeline that transports Russian gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan. Today, we are exporting gas at a much faster pace than planned, and we are ready to increase this volume, if necessary.
Work is underway on several major infrastructure projects in priority economic areas, such as the creation of a metallurgical cluster and a gas chemical complex, a copper concentration facility, and more.
The flagship projects are receiving financial support from leading Russian lending organisations, including the VEB state development corporation, Gazprombank and others.
Today, we will take part in a meeting of the Council of the Regions of Russia and Uzbekistan, as you have mentioned, where we will sign a number of interregional documents on cooperation, providing for the implementation of many large investment projects. I am pleased to note that about 80 Russian constituent entities are actively cooperating with Uzbekistan’s regions.
Furthermore, the development of cultural and humanitarian ties holds great importance for both our countries and peoples. The Russian Seasons in Uzbekistan were a noteworthy event, featuring tours by famous theatre and music groups, exhibitions, film screenings and masterclasses.
Uzbekistan ranks among the top CIS countries in terms of the number of students studying in Russian universities – over 63,000, with about 14,000 of them studying free of charge.
In the realm of international affairs, our countries often hold coinciding positions. An example of constructive cooperation is our joint work at multilateral structures, such as the UN, the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Today we have a good opportunity to discuss in detail the entire agenda of our bilateral relations.
Once again, thank you for the invitation.
Thank you.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Thank you very much, Mr President, for your comprehensive address.
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