On April 14-15, 2016 at the invitation of President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov it was held a visit of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to the Republic of Uzbekistan.
During the talks conducted in an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding Heads of States discussed the state and prospects of Uzbek-Kazakh cooperation in political, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as a number of pressing issues of international and regional policy.
The Heads of States expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats, confirmed mutual desire to further expand and deepen of mutually beneficial cooperation across the whole spectrum in the spirit of interstate Agreements on Eternal Friendship dated October 31, 1998 and the Strategic Partnership dated June 14, 2013.
Presidents expressed their reciprocal desire to ensure the growth of bilateral trade, diversification of its structure, intensifying investment cooperation, as well as creating favorable conditions for the transit of foreign-trade goods.
Heads of States positively assessed the joint intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan, whose fifteenth session was held on March 11, 2016 in Astana. It has been pointed to the important role of the Commission as a mechanism to coordinate and intensify practical cooperation in the priority areas of bilateral partnership.
Presidents noted the similarity or coincidence of positions on key issues of international policy, stressed the mutual desire to promote peace, security and stability in the global and regional scopes, confirmed the intention to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation within the UN, SCO, CIS and other international and regional organizations.
In this context, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed gratitude to President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov for the support of Kazakhstan’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2017-2018 years, noting that this decision demonstrates a striking example of friendship and strategic relations between the two countries.
The Presidents reaffirmed that the solution to any disputes, controversies and discords in international affairs is possible only through political means, through negotiations and other peaceful means in strict compliance with basic international norms and principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
The Presidents noted the need for further development of cooperation against international terrorism, religious extremism, illegal migration, drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and other threats and challenges to international security, bоth at the bilateral level and within international organizations.
The Heads of states reaffirmed their commitment to early peace and stability restoration in Afghanistan. At the same time they stressed the importance of Uzbekistan’s and Kazakhstan’s contribution to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s economic recovery.
The Presidents noted that the water resources of transboundary rivers in Central Asia are the peoples’ common heritage and welfare; the entire region’s stability and prosperity depend on reasonable and equitable utilization of rivers by peoples. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan urge all Central Asian countries to a constructive dialogue in order to build trust, mutual consideration of interests, ensure effective energy and water savings, find common approaches, new ideas and initiatives aimed at improving formats and mechanisms of interaction. When considering the construction of new hydraulic structures on rivers it must be strictly guided by the universally recognized norms of international water law, enshrined in the UN Conventions and other international instruments, and providing for coordination of all projects bearing transboundary impacts with all the watershed’s countries, as well as holding the relevant independent international expertise.
Leaders stressed that the International fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) is an important platform for interaction between the region’s countries for the implementation of projects and programs aimed at environmental rehabilitation and solving socio-economic problems of the Aral Sea region and the area adjacent to the Aral.
In this regard, the need of a permanent strengthening of IFAS role and importance, as well as support regional and international efforts aimed at the effective implementation of projects and programs under the Fund are noted.
Noting the cultural-historical and linguistic similarity of the two peoples, heads of states reaffirmed their commitment to the further development of cooperation in science, education, health, culture, art, tourism, sports and other spheres.
The leaders of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan emphasized the importance of bilateral and multilateral agreements’ implementation, as well as further expansion of the legal base between the two countries, which is fundamental to strength bilateral relations.
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed gratitude to President Islam Karimov, all the Uzbek people for warm welcome and hospitality.
Tashkent, April 15, 2016
