Uzbekistan, UAE sign strategic partnership declaration
TASHKENT. Jan 15 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates signed a declaration on strategic partnership following negotiations between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, the Uzbek presidential press service said on Wednesday.
"The heads of state discussed key issues of further deepening Uzbek-Emirati relations of friendship and multifaceted cooperation, including in political, trade and economic, investment, innovation, cultural, humanitarian and other priority spheres," it said.
"The Uzbek leader's visit to the UAE opens a new page in the history of bilateral relations - they are reaching the level of strategic partnership," it said.
Based on the outcomes of the talks, the parties also signed intergovernmental agreements on mutually encouraging and protecting investments and on financial and technical cooperation, as well as interagency agreements on investment cooperation, interaction in the industry and advanced technology, justice, agriculture and food safety, and mineral resources sectors, and some other documents.
The parties put together a solid portfolio of new projects involving leading Emirati companies, primarily in hi-tech industries, it said.
Mirziyoyev and Mohamed also identified six key areas of a new model of economic cooperation such as artificial intelligence, digitalization, green energy, urban development and infrastructure, tourism, and private business. They agreed to establish separate working groups for each priority area.
"The sides supported the proposal to declare 2025-2027 a New Era of Economic Partnership between Uzbekistan and the UAE," it said.
In this context, they agreed to take measures to increase mutual trade tenfold and bring the investment portfolio to $50 billion by 2030.
During the negotiations, Mirziyoyev and Mohamed discussed preparations for upcoming top-level events, including a second summit of the Central Asia-Gulf Cooperation Council dialogue to be held in Samarkand later this year.
The leaders exchanged opinions on relevant aspects of international politics, it said.
Mirziyoyev is on an official visit to the UAE on January 13-16.