TASHKENT (TCA) — The first meeting of Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and Almazbek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan in Samarkand in December 2016 opened a new page in the relations between the two neighboring countries, Kyrgyzstan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Daniyar Sydykov said in an interview with the Jahon information agency.
The ambassador said that the Kyrgyz Embassy in Uzbekistan is actively working in the “Samarkand spirit”, aimed at strengthening and expanding good-neighborly relations. This includes the solution of trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian issues, including delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border.
“The work of the Embassy is primarily aimed at increasing (mutual) trade turnover, establishing friendly contacts between representatives of border regions and representatives of scientific, business, creative, sports, and tourist circles of the two countries. It is very important to participate in exhibitions, concerts, symposiums, sports competitions, and cultural events,” Sydykov said.
Speaking about bilateral trade and economic relations, the ambassador said that in 2016, the volume of trade between the two countries did not exceed $200 million, which is a very small figure. Therefore, the promotion of economic diplomacy to increase investment and business projects between entrepreneurs of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan is one of the priorities of the Embassy.
In the ambassador’s words, the development of economic cooperation will be facilitated by holding business forums, exhibiting the achievements of the two countries, participating in fairs held in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, setting up joint enterprises for the assembly of cars, trucks, buses, and agricultural machinery, and for processing of agricultural products, taking into account Kyrgyzstan’s membership of the Eurasian Economic Union, and opening new trading houses.
