The first meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council took place in Astana under the chairmanship of the Presidents of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the press service of the Uzbek leader said.
"Today we are holding the first meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council, which is a historic event in the development of strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries," Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
The leaders of the two countries welcomed the adoption of the historic Strategic Partnership and Alliance Program for 2024-2034, "which marks the beginning of a new qualitative stage in Uzbek-Kazakh relations of friendship and good-neighborliness."
During the meeting, the head of Uzbekistan outlined a number of priority goals.
He emphasized the importance of coordinating the stances and effectively promoting common interests within international structures.
The parties agreed to increase the effectiveness of contacts, establish an Interparliamentary Forum, and continue the close work of the Expert Council.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev pointed out the need to adopt a new industrial cooperation strategy.
The parties welcomed the signing of a package of agreements worth $7 billion following the business forum and business meetings held the day before. This concerns cooperation in the fields of energy, logistics, construction, chemical, electrical engineering, textile, agro-industrial and other industries.
An agreement was reached to expedite the launch of the International Industrial Cooperation Center and to work out the issue of creating a joint fund for financial support of promising projects.
“It is important to fully tap the potential of cooperation in such promising industries as agriculture, mechanical engineering, energy, communications, and digitalization. In this vein, it is necessary to launch the International Industrial Cooperation Center “Central Asia” on the Kazakh-Uzbek border as soon as possible,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The leader of Kazakhstan also underscored: “We have high hopes for industrial cooperation. Today, we have about 70 joint projects worth over $3 billion, which involve the creation of more than 14 thousand jobs. We are ready to further deepen cooperation in this area and create comfortable conditions for business."
Interaction between provinces, which are real drivers of economic cooperation, was identified as one of the important areas of strategic partnership.
The two leaders voiced the readiness for joint implementation of projects for the construction of energy capacities and infrastructure, and the development of alternative energy sources.
In the field of transport and transit, an agreement was reached to work out projects for the construction of new transport corridors between the two countries with the involvement of business circles. In addition, the importance of strengthening work on the creation of a modern logistics infrastructure was emphasized.
During the meeting of the council, the parties considered the integrated and rational use of water resources of transboundary rivers. A unified approach to water use issues in the region was noted. Work will continue on the formation of a legal framework, automation and digitalization of water management facilities.
In the field of education, branches of leading universities in two countries will be launched today — the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers in Almaty and the South Kazakhstan University named after Mukhtar Auezov in Chirchik.
The leader of Uzbekistan also expressed gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the initiative to open a monument to the poet and thinker Alisher Navoi in Astana.
The parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening integration and cooperation in Central Asia. "It was noted that the Consultative Meeting has become an effective mechanism for jointly addressing the challenges facing the region and developing a regional agenda for the long term," the statement said.
At the end of the talks, Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to visit Uzbekistan for the second meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council.
