Bilateral Cooperation - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyzstan and Malaysia to Revive Bilateral Cooperation

On 15 May, Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim paid an official visit to Bishkek to engage in talks with President Sadyr Japarov. The agenda focused on the current state of the countries’ bilateral cooperation and the potential for further development in sectors including agriculture, tourism, energy, renewable energy sources, mining, infrastructure, information technology, and the halal industry. The meeting concluded with the signing of a ‘Joint Statement on the comprehensive enhancement of cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and Malaysia’, described by President Japarov as a road map for the further development of Kyrgyz-Malaysian relations. At a meeting later in the day with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov emphasized the importance of joint efforts in the implementation of a more comprehensive business partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Malaysia. In this regard, Akylbek Japarov proposed the immediate revival of the Special Kyrgyz-Malaysian Joint Commission, which created in 1997, had proved an effective means of enhancing cooperation between the two countries. In addition, he invited Malaysian investors to collaborate in projects concerning renewable energy sources, mining, the halal industry, and education, as well as exchanging experience in the field of Islamic finance. The two countries also opened negotiations for the introduction of direct flights between Bishkek and Kuala Lumpur. In response to the meeting, the Prime Minister of Malaysia emphasized his readiness to develop and strengthen the high potential of bilateral cooperation across the board. Towards this goal, he spoke of Malaysia’s interest in establishing cooperation in the banking sector and opening a bank in Kyrgyzstan, and with reference to education, said that his government was considering reducing the fees for Kyrgyz students from low-income families wishing to study in his country.

Bilateral Cooperation Legislation Rule of law Security

Prosecutor General’s Office of Tajikistan and U.S. State Department Sign Memorandum of Cooperation

Tajikistan and the U.S. have agreed to continue bilateral legal cooperation in various areas, as reported by the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Tajikistan. During the meeting, Prosecutor General of Tajikistan, Rahmon Yusuf Ahmadzoda and the U.S. Ambassador to the Tajikistan, Manuel Mikaller discussed issues related to the exchange of information on challenges and threats to the security of both states, the protection of the rights and interests of citizens, preventing and combating manifestations of violent extremism and terrorism, cyber-crime, transnational organized crime, and other issues. A Memorandum of Intent on cooperation on the implementation of the Personal Identity Comparison and Evaluation System to Regulate the Movement of Terrorists (PISCES) was signed. "This system allows the movement of terrorists to be tracked through extensive technological surveillance, as well as assisting in their capture and apprehension," the report stated.

Tajikistan Kazakhstan Bilateral Trade Bilateral Cooperation

Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Plan to Double Trade to $2 Billion

On 30 April, talks held in Dushanbe between Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda focused on Kazakh-Tajik cooperation in trade and investment, industrial cooperation, agriculture, transport connectivity, water, and energy. Kazakhstan is Tajikistan's fourth largest trading partner and with the aim to double bilateral trade to $2 billion, Kazakhstan announced its readiness to increase exports of 85 commodities worth about $190 million. Both governments stressed the importance of developing industrial cooperation by creating new export-oriented joint ventures, with specific reference to Kazakhstan’s large production capacity of equipment for Tajik railways, including electric and diesel locomotives, in addition to locally manufactured transformers, agricultural machinery, batteries and motor vehicles. An important issue on the bilateral agenda is cooperation in the water sector and the need for joint action to ensure the smooth operation of Tajikistan’s Bakhri Tojik reservoir during the growing season. In further discussions on agricultural cooperation, both parties noted that in January-February, bilateral trade of agricultural products totalled $84.9 million, an increase of 8.9 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Future plans include increasing Kazakh wheat and flour exports to Tajikistan, and creating joint ventures for flour milling and processing of livestock products.

Tajikistan Uzbekistan Bilateral Cooperation

Tajik Institute Hosts Conference on Furthering Cooperation With Uzbekistan

An international conference called Uzbekistan and Tajikistan: New Perspectives of Strategic Partnership and Alliance is being held in Dushanbe on April 12, in cooperation with the International Institute of Central Asia and the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, according to a report by UzA. According to this report, current relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have reached a stage of rapid development. Mutually beneficial cooperation in the political, trade-economic spheres, and cultural-humanitarian connections are expanding. The amount of cross-border bilateral trade has increased more than threefold since 2017, and in the coming years is expected to reach $1 billion annually. The main goal of the ongoing conference is to discuss the prospects for further development of the bilateral partnership, as well as to develop practical proposals for expanding cooperation in the fields of trade and industry, transport, ecology and water use, agriculture, and education. Participants include representatives from the two country’s top research and analytical centers, and from ministries and agencies. Additionally, as part of the Uzbek delegation’s visit to Dushanbe, bilateral meetings are scheduled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institute of Economics and Demography of the Institute for the Study of the Problems of Asian and European Countries of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, and the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Bilateral Cooperation

President Mirziyoyev Meets Xi Jinping on State Visit to China

Late on Tuesday night, the President of Uzbekistan’s press service reported that the head of state's plane had landed at Shoudou International Airport, where he was greeted by China's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sun Yeli and other officials. The president's state visit started on Wednesday with a meeting with the Premier of the State Council, Li Qiang, wherein they discussed the expansion of economic interaction, participation of Chinese companies in privatization in Uzbekistan, increasing the number of flights, and other issues. Many important points were raised at the meeting, such as the 50% increase in trade turnover between China and Uzbekistan over the past year, reaching $14 billion, and the volume of Chinese investment in the Uzbek economy exceeding this same figure. The two parties set their sights on making this figure reach $20 billion. As planned within the framework of the state visit, Mirziyoyev also held meetings with a number of major Chinese corporations important for Uzbekistan. Jin Liqun, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), discussed the expansion of strategic partnership, Dai Houliang, Chairman of the CNPC oil and gas corporation, talked about the implementation of promising projects in Uzbekistan on the construction of underground gas storage facilities and modernization of gas transportation systems, drilling technologies and the training of specialists, and Xi Guohua, head of the Chinese corporation CITIC, discussed the expansion of the portfolio of joint projects. Mirziyoyev also received Wu Fulin, Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China, to discuss the bank's plan to open a regional office in Tashkent and prepare new promising projects for the development of transport and social infrastructure, industry, and in the private sector. At the main event of the visit, Mirziyoyev and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a document which was described on President Mirziyoyev’s website as made possible by a "powerful breakthrough in bilateral relations" in recent years. The agreement includes cooperation in the field of environmental protection; technical and economic cooperation; cooperation in the development of human resources; cooperation between state scientific research institutions; cooperation in the field of teaching the Chinese language; a protocol on deepening cooperation on China-Central Asia-Europe railway and the development of cooperation in the field of new electric vehicles; cooperation in the field of poverty reduction; a protocol on further strengthening of scientific and technical cooperation; on cooperation in the field of standardization, etc. The two sides agreed to continue to comprehensively strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and further enrich their strategic partnership.

Bilateral Cooperation

Uzbekistan Ratifies Agreement on Transfer of Prisoners with Iran

The forty-ninth plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan took place in Tashkent on January 20th. Tanzila Norboeva, the head of the Senate presided over the plenary meeting, which was conducted via video conference, wherein discussions were held regarding a bill entitled, On the ratification of the Agreement on the transfer of prisoners between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran (Tehran, June 18, 2023). The agreement’s ratification gives Iranian and Uzbek citizens who have been detained in each other's territories a legal foundation on which to serve out their sentences in their home nation, thus allowing for regular visits with close relatives and easing the transition to civilian life. The agreement also opens up the possibility of bilateral cooperation in the area of the transfer of convicts.