BISHKEK (TCA) — President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev paid a working visit to Uzbekistan on December 24.
In Samarkand, Atambayev and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the grave of First President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov and paid a tribute of respect to his memory, the press service of the Uzbek President said.
Later, the presidents visited the JV MAN Auto Uzbekistan Uzbek-German joint venture which manufactures MAN heavy duty trucks, buses, tractors and other agricultural machinery.
Then the two leaders held talks, and the President of Kyrgyzstan once again congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his confident victory in the presidential elections on December 4.
“You are the leader the people of Uzbekistan has been waiting for,” Atambayev said to Mirziyoyev, adding that the two countries now have to focus on economic relations and remove restrictions and unnecessary barriers, Atambayev’s press service reported.
The parties noted that despite 23-percent growth in the past period of this year, the mutual trade turnover remains low and does not correspond to the real capacities of the two countries.
The presidents underlined the need to jointly adopt measures to drastically increase the range and volume of mutual trade up to $500 million in the next two years.
Mirziyoyev suggested organizing a supply to Kyrgyzstan of modern agricultural machinery, cars, trucks, and buses manufactured in Uzbekistan, as well as Uzbek mineral fertilizers, electro-technical products (from transformers to cable and wire products to home appliances), textiles, construction materials, and medicines.
The sides also discussed construction of the shortest railway route linking Central Asia to China through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, which would significantly increase the transit potential of the two countries and the whole region.
