UK supports Tajikistan's efforts to facilitate Afghan settlement - Uzbek Foreign Ministry
TASHKENT. April 16 (Interfax) - British Minister of State for Europe Alan Duncan said at a meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov in Tashkent that the United Kingdom supports Uzbekistan's efforts to restore Afghanistan and facilitate the intra-Afghan settlement, according to the press service for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry.
"The British side supported Uzbekistan's efforts to facilitate the intra-Afghan peaceful dialogue and the implementation of large-scale infrastructure and socio-economic projects in Afghanistan," the press service said on Tuesday.
On April 11, the next round of the intra-Afghan dialogue to be held in Samarkand following the session in Doha was announced following a meeting between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in Tashkent.
Kamilov and Duncan also noted the current intensification of bilateral relations in the political and commercial and economic sectors, in the fields of investment, tourism, culture and humanitarian affairs, and others, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.
In 2018, trade between the UK and Uzbekistan increased by 37% in comparison to the previous year and reached $235.9 million; the UK was ranked fifth in the amount of investments in the Uzbek economy.
The parties reiterated their interest in further development of Uzbek-British relations and discussed suggestions regarding the schedule of joint events in 2019. At the meeting, they also discussed the prospects of expanding interaction in the education sector, including putting the relevant standards and experience into practice in Uzbekistan's educational establishments, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.