Uzbekistan and China sign economic agreements worth $15 bln

SAMARKAND. Sept 15 (Interfax) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed agreements worth $15 billion following their talks in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on Thursday, Mirziyoyev's press service said.

"Agreements on trade, economic investment, financial, and technical cooperation in implementing priority projects worth $15 billion were signed after the meeting," the press service said in a statement.

Bilateral trade reached an all-time high of $8 billion in 2021, and has grown by more than 30% since the beginning of 2022, it said.

"The amount of investments in the economy of Uzbekistan has exceeded $10 billion over the past five years. The five-year program of comprehensive economic cooperation has been implemented successfully. Joint projects in key sectors of the economy and the social sphere have been productive as well," the press service said.

Following their talks in Samarkand, the Uzbek and Chinese presidents also issued a joint statement, in which the two countries pledged to further strengthen their strategic partnership, it said.

"Today, we signed a joint statement with the aim of facilitating the further development of our strategic partnership," Mirziyoyev was quoted by his press service as saying.

Issues that will be at the center of the parties' attention are practical aspects of interaction and steps to promote joint projects, above all in trade, investments, industrial cooperation, energy, transport, innovations, the "green" and digital economies, as well as programs in healthcare, education and culture, the Uzbek president said.

Xi, in turn, said that the parties "agreed to deepen comprehensive development in this new era," and "the Chinese side is ready to write a new page of Chinese-Uzbek friendship."

Mirziyoyev also presented the Chinese leader with the Dustlik (Friendship} award of the highest degree.

Xi arrived in Uzbekistan on September 14 on an official visit. The Chinese president will also attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand on September 15-16.