Premier Li holds talks with Uzbek PM

Premier Li Keqiang met with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov in Beijing on Aug 27.

Premier Li said both sides have been unswerving supporter of each other's core interests ever since the establishment of China-Uzbekistan ties. Their cooperation has made major achievements along the way.

China attaches great importance to the China-Uzbekistan relations and is willing to beef up high-level exchanges, facilitate free trade and investment between both sides, and step up communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, in a bid to uphold long-term peace, stability, and prosperity.

China and Uzbekistan enjoy complementary economic modes, which hails broad prospects for bilateral pragmatic cooperation, the Premier said.

China is willing to align the Belt and Road Initiative with the Uzbek development strategies, and deepen cooperation in industrial capacities, interconnection, agriculture, energy, and the like.

China is ready to constantly expand the bilateral trades, import featured Uzbek products that meet China's market demands, and encourage competent Chinese enterprises to invest and establish firms in Uzbekistan in accordance with market and business rules, which calls for better Uzbek business environment.

China is willing to jointly step up cooperation with Uzbekistan in culture, tourism, and higher education as well, in a bid to consolidate the China-Uzbekistan civil friendship.

Aripov expressed his congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, saying that China's development has caught global attention, and made contributions to regional and global stability and prosperity.

Uzbekistan and China maintain high-level strategic dialogue, deepen pragmatic cooperation and keep close ties in international regional affairs with each other, and the bilateral trade and investment also see steady growth with people-to-people exchange developing continuously, said the prime minister.

He said Uzbekistan is glad to strengthen the joint construction of the Belt and Road, deepening cooperation at all sides with China, adding that his country welcomes more Chinese investment, promoting the bilateral relations to a higher level.

After the meeting , they witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents. Before the talk, Premier Li held a welcoming ceremony for Aripov.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Liu Qibao and He Lifeng, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and head of the National Development and Reform Commission, attended related activities.