Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Dec. 21 / Trend D. Azizov /
Cooperation with Kazakhstan has always been a priority for Uzbekistan, Uzbek President Islam Karimov said while receiving Kazakh Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov, who is on an official visit to Tashkent.
The Uzbek national news agency (UzA) reported today that the sides have exchanged the views on trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries and other issues of mutual interest.
The Uzbek president stressed that Kazakhstan is a reliable, time-tested partner and close neighbor for Uzbekistan.
President Karimov's official visit to Kazakhstan in September 2012 was timely. The fruitful talks with President Nazarbayev showed the similarity of positions and approaches on virtually all aspects of modern agenda.
The presidents of the two countries agreed that the relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were created and will be based on the firm belief in the community and the inseparability of long-term strategic and national priorities, as well as the desire to jointly resolve the huge goals and challenges facing the two countries.
A steady tendency of mutual support for the two countries' positions on the most urgent issues can be observed within various multilateral formats for the last years.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan hold a single position on the development of an equitable system of water use in the region, fixed in the Joint Statement of the Presidents of the two countries as of September 7, 2012. The document envisages a solution to the issues in the water and energy sector, including the construction of new hydro-technical facilities on trans-border rivers, in accordance with the UN Convention and taking into account the interests of all countries in the region, with compulsory international independent expertise.
Kazakhstan is one of Uzbekistan's most important economic partners. Trade and economic relations between the two countries are characterized by dynamic and sustainable growth. As of 2011, bilateral trade turnover increased by 47 percent to $ 2.8 billion and amounted to $2.3 billion for 10 months of 2012.
Kazakh Prime Minister thanked Karimov for the warm welcome and stressed Kazakhstan's great interest in the further development of relations with Uzbekistan in all spheres.