| UZBEKISTAN TODAY: IMPORTANT PARTNER IN CENTRAL ASIAN REGION 
This week the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has paid an official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan. For the distinguished guest the Akorda residence set the guard of honour. During their face-to-face talks the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev shared their views on the current state and prospects of mutual relations and discussed the international and regional problems of mutual interest.
Today the Uzbek-Kazakh relations, based on principles of good neighbourly relationship, friendship, brotherhood, mutual trust and respect, are successfully developing.
Thereupon, talking to the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev, the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov stated that “Uzbekistan highly appreciates interaction with Kazakhstan and pays special attention to the development of relations with this country which is our important and major partner in Central Asia.”
In turn, warmly welcoming President Islam Karimov, Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that Kazakhstan expressed solidarity to Uzbekistan in it.
For more than 15 years of cooperation the two countries have signed 114 documents. The main document regulating their relations is the Agreement of October 31, 1998 on eternal friendship between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Republic of Kazakhstan.
Within the Tashkent summit in March 2006 President Islam Karimov and President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the Joint Statement ensuring to set up Intergovernmental Coordination Council under the auspices of the two presidents. This body operatively resolves actual problems related to relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
While discussing the problem of developing mutual relations in Akorda, Islam Karimov and Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan had not yet completely used their potential of mutual cooperation. Regular high-rank meetings open new verges of cooperation and create favorable conditions for discussing perspective plans and from this point of view, President Islam Karimov emphasized that “this visit is a wonderful opportunity to discuss issues of mutual cooperation and problems of regional security.”
Taking into consideration that the major factor of strengthening security and stability in Central Asia is restoration of peace in Afghanistan, leaders of both states pointed out the necessity of carrying out of teamwork on prevention of such threats as terrorism, extremism, drug dealing, weapons smuggling and distribution of the weapon of mass destruction. We would mention that recently, making a speech at the Bucharest summit of NATO/EAPC, President Islam Karimov suggested expediency of establishing negotiation process on Afghanistan within the “6+2” contact group functioned under the aegis of the United Nations in 1997-2001 and called the North Atlantic Alliance for participation in the contact group’s activity.
Therefore, in Astana, discussing problems of deepening cooperation in maintenance of regional security between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Republic of Kazakhstan, Islam Karimov noted that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan bear special responsibility for opposition to challenges and threats for certain reason. Uzbekistan has ever provided tight contacts with Central Asian countries, primarily with Kazakhstan to strengthen stability and security.
Concerning cooperation within international organizations such as UN, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and CIS, President Islam Karimov stressed that Uzbekistan supported development of relations with Kazakhstan within international organizations as well. It is very importance to coordinate regional policy of both countries, establish regular consultations between the Uzbek and Kazakh departments for foreign policy. Here the two presidents hold similar opinions.
Concerning the recent information in some media on establishing a union of Central Asian states, President Islam Karimov stated that “to establish a union, firstly, they should have comparable level of socio-economic development and secondly, their course of economic and political development and realization of reforms should be similar. From this point of view, I think that it would be premature to mention establishment of any unions in our region.”
More expanded talks paid special attention to problems of cooperating in commercial, economic and humanitarian spheres.
It should be noted that economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is regulated by the Free Trade Agreement signed in 1997. The rate of mutual commodity turnover is highly growing now. Particularly, 2006 marked the growth of 39.1 percent. Last year the mutual trade increased by 63.3 percent and reached US$ 1193.3 million. Obviously, both states have overcome for the first time a milliard boundary. Here Uzbekistan’s trade surplus is US$ 129.5 million.
Drawing attention to issues of expanding economic relations, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov noted that commercial and economic cooperation was one of the main components of interstate relations and basic factor of further development of relations. In this sense, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have huge potential. The countries should review the list of exported and imported products to increase their commodity turnover.
In economy, the both states can supplement each other. For instance, natural resources are one of the perspective aspects of cooperation because both countries are equally interested in scientific and practical resolution of such problems as oil and gas transportation.
Transport communications of the countries will increase international transit incomes. Thereupon, it would be expedient to use automobile and rail roads as an interrelated integrated system and continue coordinated and step-by-step work on guaranteeing free and intensive movement of exported, imported and transit freight. President Islam Karimov also suggested increasing the number of preferences and benefits.
Implementation of such documents as Program on economic cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Republic of Kazakhstan for 2006-2010 and economic cooperation strategy for 2007-2016, which indicate perspective directions of bilateral cooperation in trade, water and energy complex, investments and finance, transport and communications, customs and innovations will provide the countries with an opportunity to increase their commodity turnover several times.
To develop their mutual commodity turnover Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan agreed to set up a special workgroup on developing a document on free economic zone. Nursultan Nazarbayev said that “to establish a special workgroup, the Uzbek party offered, on developing a document on free economic zone is another step in developing mutual cooperation.”
Joint ventures play great role in expanding scales of economic cooperation. It is well-known that there are 167 Uzbek-Kazakh joint ventures, Kazakh Development Bank and 54 Kazakh firms and companies have their offices in Uzbekistan and in turn, Kazakhstan has 94 Kazakh-Uzbek joint ventures. Certainly, these indexes do not coincide with economic, scientific, technical and intellectual potential of the two countries. Therefore, the negotiations stressed the necessity of developing direct relations between businessmen, industries and regions of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Here the states should efficiently use the agreement on cooperation signed by their chambers of commerce and industry.
Transition to consecutive practical actions of executing all strategic arrangements will necessarily cause positive results.
Taking into consideration the actuality of developing and introducing water economization technologies, exchanging experience and information in this sphere, we would like to point out Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s scientific and economic potential providing them with an opportunity to use effectively water resources and to solve a number of environmental and social problems.
Thereupon, President Islam Karimov suggested operating coordinated policy for preventing deterioration of water supply in Central Asian countries.
The Kazakh party showed interest in carrying out coordinated policy at recent international conference on the Aral Sea problems in Tashkent. Representatives of Kazakhstan took an active part in it and there they expressed the opportunity of expending cooperation in this sphere.
Concerning the problem of developing cultural and humanitarian cooperation, during the negotiations the parties discussed implementation of the Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation Program for 2006-2008 and shared views on the further activation of relations in this sphere.
The Uzbek-Kazakh cultural and humanitarian cooperation is dynamically developing in accordance with the interstate Agreement on eternal friendship, the intergovernmental Agreement on deepening of cooperation in culture, healthcare, science, education, tourism and sports of January 10, 1994, intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in science and technologies of March 20, 2006 and other agreements.
Islam Karimov and Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the Neurosurgery Center of Kazakhstan. While familiarizing with this medical institution’s activity, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov expressed interest in its favourable conditions for patients and physicians and issues of encouraging the medical staff’s labor. Mentioning a number of Uzbek medical centres, President Islam Karimov emphasized that increase in scale of cooperation in this sphere and exchange of experience meet requirements of both countries.
The results of President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov’s official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan have great value not only for the development of relations between the two countries but also strengthening of security and stability in Central Asia in whole and expansion of their political, economic and humanitarian relations. Keeping friendliness, mutual understanding, trust and respect of each others’ interests, the parties expressed desire to strengthen mutually beneficial nature of their bilateral relations by drawing attention to potential of developing cooperation in key branches. Undoubtedly, it will benefit the further strengthening and intensification of Uzbek-Kazakh relations.
Uzbekistan Today, April 25, 2008
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