08.02.2024

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko held talks in a narrow format with the participation of members of the official delegations of the two countries.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Head of our State particularly noted that over the years Uzbek-Belarusian multifaceted relations have reached a qualitatively new and high level.

It was emphasized that a number of events were successfully held as part of the preparations for the current visit, including regular meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, forums of regions, rectors, medical professionals and others.

The importance of continuing active contacts at the level of heads of government, parliamentarians, ministries and regions was stressed.

The parties agreed to continue political dialogue and mutual support within international structures, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The positive dynamics of trade and economic cooperation were noted with satisfaction. Trade turnover increased by 15% last year.

The governments have set the task of raising this indicator to over US$1 billion in the coming years.

To this end, agreement was reached on the establishment of a joint foreign trade company, the implementation of mechanisms to support export-import deliveries, and an electronic system for product certification.

Furthermore, the parties agreed to mutually create favorable conditions for freight transport, prepare international carriers and effectively utilize multimodal corridors towards the lucrative markets of South Asia.

Special attention was paid to the development of cooperative relations. The number of joint ventures has quadrupled in recent years.

During the negotiations, the Presidents identified priority areas for cooperation, including agriculture, light industry, food processing, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, urban development, communications and others. It was agreed to set up separate working groups for each direction.

The Leaders welcomed the activation of interregional exchanges. The fruitful results of the second Forum of Regions of Uzbekistan and Belarus, held the day before, were particularly emphasized, during which contracts and agreements worth over US$1 billion were signed.

The parties agreed to continue active cultural and humanitarian exchanges. Programs for the development of partnership in higher and vocational education, healthcare, culture, sports and tourism will be adopted.

During the meeting, reports were heard from the members of the official delegations and concrete proposals were put on the agenda of the talks.

Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to prepare and adopt a joint roadmap for the implementation of the decisions taken and the agreements signed.