On July 10 local time, President Xi Jinping met in Ufa of Russia with President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan.

Xi Jinping stressed that China highly values developing relations with Uzbekistan and steadfastly pursues a friendly policy towards Uzbekistan. In recent years, China and Uzbekistan have achieved leapfrog development in their relations, comprehensively advanced cooperation in such sectors as security, energy, finance, transportation, agriculture, telecommunications and education and together implemented a series of large-scale cooperation projects, bringing tangible benefits to both peoples. It is hoped that both sides will continue enhancing coordination and join efforts to forge a China-Uzbekistan community of common interests and common destiny that features equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and shares weal and woe.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the economic and trade cooperation between China and Uzbekistan boasts a promising prospect. Both countries should better connect their development strategies, and draw cooperation roadmaps, determine early-harvest projects and work together to implement them based on the cooperation documents between the two countries for jointly constructing the Silk Road Economic Belt. China will join hands with Uzbekistan to earnestly carry out the work related to the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor in the principle of joint consultation, joint construction and sharing. Both sides should also intensify policy and industrial connection to promote and deepen cooperation in such areas as energy, agriculture and production capacity.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Uzbekistan have kept sound relations in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Uzbekistan will assume the presidency of the SCO after the Ufa Summit, and China will render full support and cooperation for the work of Uzbekistan as the SOC presidency, thus together push the SCO along a direction featuring closer unity, more practical cooperation and more effective action.

Islam Karimov expressed that China serves as an important footstone in maintaining regional peace and development, and Uzbekistan is grateful for China’s long-term and vigorous support and help. In recent years, both countries have kept close high-level communication and conducted sound cooperation in various fields. Uzbekistan backs China’s Belt and Road initiative and considers it as a blueprint well connecting the past, the present and the future, and will actively participate in relevant economic, trade, development and people-to-people and cultural cooperation. Uzbekistan also supports a series of important propositions put forward by China concerning the international affairs and will actively involve in related cooperation by boosting coordination with China under the SCO framework. Uzbekistan firmly supports the development of the SCO as well as practical cooperation among its member states in line with the Shanghai Spirit.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others were present at the meeting.