Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan: multifaceted partnership of fraternal peoples
30/01/2023 13:05
Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan: multifaceted partnership of fraternal peoples
30/01/2023 13:05
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Kyrgyzstan is a reliable neighbor, strategic partner and fraternal state of Uzbekistan. The multifaceted partnership between our countries is aimed at further expanding and strengthening bilateral relations in a whole range of areas, in particular, trade, economic, energy, cultural, humanitarian, agricultural, transport and logistics, tourism, etc.
Industrial cooperation is actively developing between the countries, significant joint projects are being implemented in a number of areas, and the Uzbek-Kyrgyz Development Fund has been launched to provide financial support for projects.
In 2023, it will be 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Throughout this period of time, “ups and downs” were observed, but nevertheless, thanks to the firm political will of the heads of state, fertile ground has been created for conducting constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation in priority areas of the bilateral agenda.
The development of a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries was served by the firm intentions of the heads of state to fill the interaction with practical content and concrete results. In particular, the state visit of Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kyrgyzstan in 2017 and the state visit in 2021 were organized.
The visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to Uzbekistan was given a powerful impetus to bring cooperation to a qualitatively new level.
The successful achievement of consensus on the process of delimitation of the state border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan deserves special attention. On 30 November 2022, Uzbekistan ratified the Treaty with Kyrgyzstan on certain sections of the interstate border.
This indicates that the legal registration of the state border line on the basis of the principles of equality, mutual benefit and good neighborliness serves the economic prosperity of both the two countries and the whole of Central Asia.
To date, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have a solid contractual and legal base - more than 200 documents regulating the entire spectrum of cooperation. In particular, the main documents of bilateral cooperation are: “Treaty on Eternal Friendship (1996)”, “Declaration on Strategic Partnership, Strengthening Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Trust (2017)”, “Intergovernmental Agreement on Interregional Cooperation (2017) ".
Since 1996, the platform of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation has been functioning, co-chaired by the prime ministers. A total of nine meetings of the Commission were held, incl. the last one took place in March 2021 in Tashkent.
There is a positive trend in the development of trade and economic cooperation. There is a free trade regime in mutual trade between countries. In 2022, the volume of trade amounted to US$1.26 billion, which is 10 times more than in 2015 (US$136 million).
Over the past year, an increase in supplies was achieved for the main export items, incl. textile products by 43% (US$408.8 million), chemical products by 2 times (US$28.9 million), mechanical and electrical equipment by 23% (US$21.2 million), vehicles and spare parts for them by 2 .6 times (US$12.4 million).
In addition, from 1 January 2021, Uzbekistan abolished the excise tax on 73 commodity items as part of the obligations under the free trade zone agreement of the CIS member states. This, in turn, contributed to a multiple increase in mutual trade.
A well-established logistics contributes to the breakthrough growth of mutual trade. Thus, in 2022, the volume of international rail freight traffic amounted to 2 million tons, which is 25% more compared to the same period in 2021.
Road freight transportation between the two countries is carried out in accordance with the intergovernmental Agreement on International Road Transport (dated 1996) and the Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the said Agreement (dated 2017).
In 2022, the volume of international road freight transportation amounted to 3.1 million tons, which is 52% more compared to the same period in 2021.
Cooperation in the field of air transport is carried out in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement on Air Communication and Cooperation in the Field of Air Transport (dated 1996).
Flights are operated by Uzbekistan Airways on the route "Tashkent - Bishkek - Tashkent" with a frequency of 3 times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In addition, from 12 December 2021, flights on the route "Ferghana - Sokh - Ferghana" are operated with a frequency of 2 times a week.
To date, more than 320 enterprises with the participation of Kyrgyz capital operate on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, of which 138 are joint ventures and 182 enterprises with 100% foreign capital.
At the same time, 70 Uzbek companies operate in Kyrgyzstan, including 30 joint ventures and 40 individual entrepreneurs.
Their main areas of activity are the production of building materials, confectionery and footwear, retail trade, catering services, advertising, transport and forwarding services.
It should be noted that the dynamically developing interaction between the peoples of the two fraternal countries is also reflected in the cultural and humanitarian direction.
Uzbekistan will pay special attention to the development of the educational sector. Thus, in Uzbekistan there are more than 50 schools with the Kyrgyz language of instruction. In 2018, Uzbekistan built and commissioned a secondary school in the city of Osh.
In addition, an important direction is the preservation and promotion of the common cultural and historical heritage.
Of course, the organization and holding of the Days of Culture and Cinema in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bishkek and Osh in 2017-2018 is a vivid confirmation of this.
Also, it should be noted that there are Kyrgyz national cultural centers in Uzbekistan. The first Kyrgyz cultural center was founded in Jizzakh region in 1992. Subsequently, centers appeared in other cities of Uzbekistan. In May 1995, the Kyrgyz National Cultural Center of Uzbekistan was established, which today unites the activities of 6 regional Kyrgyz centers (Jizzakh, Syrdarya, Andijan, Ferghana, Namangan and Tashkent).
It is noteworthy that on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the great writer Chingiz Aitmatov, Uzbek and Kyrgyz filmmakers jointly shot a film called Delbirim. In order to perpetuate the memory of the outstanding Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov, a street was named in the center of the capital of Uzbekistan and his bas-relief was installed.
In turn, the creative teams of the two countries regularly take part in such major events as the Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival, the Bakhshi and Maqom art festivals, and others.
In conclusion, it should be noted that Uzbek-Kyrgyz relations can be firmly characterized as multifaceted. Indeed, friendly relations contributed to the progressive implementation of the agreements reached in the field of bilateral cooperation based on the principles of equality and respect for each other’s interests.
Undoubtedly, the upcoming state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Kyrgyz Republic will give a powerful impetus to the development of mutually beneficial cooperation, serve to deepen strategic partnership, as well as strengthen fraternal relations between the two peoples.
Ibrat Abdumalikov, Leading Research Fellow, International Institute of Central Asia.
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