President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held tête-à-tête talks, followed by expanded talks with members of their official delegations.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev particularly noted that Uzbek-Belarusian multifaceted relations had reached a qualitatively new level in recent years.
He emphasized that, as part of the preparations for the current visit, a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, a Business Council meeting, political consultations, expert discussions, the Days of Uzbek Culture, and a number of other events had been successfully held.
The leaders expressed satisfaction with the steady growth in bilateral trade. Over the past five years, it has nearly tripled, reaching almost $1 billion by the end of last year. Since the beginning of this year, bilateral trade has increased by a further 30 percent. Today, 360 joint ventures are operating successfully.
They welcomed the Action Plan adopted on the eve of the visit, which sets out specific measures to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion, as well as launch new cooperation projects in agriculture, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, the electrical, light, furniture, and other industries.
The leaders also expressed interest in exchanging experience in the peaceful use of atomic energy and the development of related social infrastructure.
The fruitful outcomes of the third Forum of Regions of Uzbekistan and Belarus, held in Minsk the day before, were particularly noted. The forum resulted in the signing of a substantial portfolio of trade contracts and investment agreements.
The parties reaffirmed their commitment to further mutual support within international structures, including the United Nations, the CIS, the SCO, and the Non-Aligned Movement.
They also emphasized the importance of continuing active cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed gratitude to President Alexander Lukashenko for the initiative to establish an Alley of Uzbek-Belarusian Friendship in Minsk.
The two sides agreed to organize joint tourism, medical, and education forums by the end of this year.
During the meeting, the co-chairs of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission also presented reports outlining specific proposals on the agenda of the talks.
In conclusion, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited President Alexander Lukashenko to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan.