Following the solemn ceremony at Akorda, the two leaders held talks in the narrow and expanded formats. Nursultan Nazarbayev and Islam Karimov discussed the issues on political interaction, stability and security in Central Asia, expansion of the cooperation in trade, economy, investment sphere, cultural and humanitarian field, as well as cross-border cooperation.
The President of Kazakhstan congratulated President Islam Karimov and the people of Uzbekistan on the Independence Day and wished success to the country.
“Under your leadership, Uzbekistan has made significant achievements in the country’s economy, socio-political sphere, education, culture and in strengthening of the country’s international position and authority. We welcome the progress of the country and wish our Uzbek brothers peace, well-being and prosperity. We consider Uzbekistan as a kind neighbor and strategic partner in Central Asia. Kazakhstan is open and tends to have very close ties with Uzbekistan. I have always been and remain a strong supporter of expansion and deepening of bilateral relations in all spheres. Your visit to Astana in 2008 and my visit to Tashkent in 2010 gave a good impetus to further cooperation. In November of the current year we will mark the 20th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. On this occasion I propose to carry out festive events,” the President of Kazakhstan said.
In turn, President Islam Karimov thanked for the warm welcome, hospitality and expressed deep respect to Nursultan Nazarbayev and the people of Kazakhstan.
"In Uzbekistan we highly appreciate and cherish the historically established friendly, traditionally good neighbourly relations, common roots, values and interests, which for many centuries bind our two peoples. I am convinced that awareness of these roots and firm understanding of common interests of our peoples create a solid foundation for the development and strengthening of bilateral relations of our countries, despite all the hardships of this difficult time in which we live. The current visit of the delegation of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, our bilateral meeting, the open confidential discussion with the President of Kazakhstan and a wide range of issues of mutual interest and topical problems are very urgent. Moreover, I believe that we should meet more often to exchange views on topical issues, which are unfortunately are not often settled and then their solution is much more difficult than in the beginning of their appearance,” the President of Uzbekistan said.
In conclusion, the parties emphasized the need to strengthen the friendly relations and further deepen the bilateral cooperation.
