22 Dec 2022 14:03

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to jointly implement energy and transport projects

TASHKENT/ALMATY. Dec 22 (Interfax) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reached an agreement at talks in Tashkent to promote energy projects and to boost the transport and transit potentials of the two countries, the Uzbek leader's press service said on Thursday.

"The heads of state agreed to promote projects to upgrade and build energy facilities, engage in geological exploration and the advanced refining of natural gas," the press service said.

Steps to use and enhance transit potential were determined as a key area of cooperation, it said.

"Today, we have achieved the stable growth of freight traffic and we have agreed to take mutual steps to create favorable conditions for bilateral and transit shipments. Seeking to drastically increase the volume of freight traffic, we have agreed to expedite projects aimed at expanding transport infrastructure," Mirziyoyev was quoted as saying by his press service.

At the end of their meeting, the two presidents instructed their governments to closely supervise the implementation of all achieved accords and to agree a relevant road map, the press service said.

The Kazakh president's press service, for its part, said that bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan grew by 35% to nearly $5 billion in 2022.

"This year, mutual trade increased by 35% and approached $5 billion, which became possible thanks to the implementation of a number of joint projects in industry, machine building, logistics, transport, and energy," the press service said following the Tokayev-Mirziyoyev meeting.

At their meeting, the presidents discussed the key issues of the two countries' strategic partnership, with a focus on the need to boost bilateral political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties, it said.

Tokayev and Mirziyoyev also discussed major topics on the international and regional agenda.