BEIJING - Top Chinese security official Meng Jianzhu and First Deputy Prime Minister ofUzbekistan Rustam Azimov agreed to expand trade and economic cooperation under theframework of the "Belt initiatives" on Monday.
During the third meeting of the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental committee of cooperationheld in China's northern city of Rizhao, Shandong province, the two senior officials agreed todeepen all-round cooperation and strengthen ties as China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiativerolls out.
"Co-building the Silk Road Economic Belt will present a major opportunity for developing China-Uzbekistan relations," Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs ofthe Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said at the opening ceremony ofChina-Uzbekistan trade and economic forum prior to the meeting.
Meng said China and Uzbekistan should implement the various consensus reached by theleaders of the two countries and push bilateral cooperation to a higher level and a greater scope.
Efforts should be made on further deepening political mutual trust and connecting each other'sdevelopment strategies, further optimizing trade structure and expanding cooperation scale,further improving investment environment and ensuring smooth trade, further coordinatinginfrastructure building and boosting connectivity, Meng said.
China is an intimate friend and trustworthy partner of Uzbekistan, Azimov said, adding thatUzbekistan will actively participate in various projects under the framework of the "Belt initiatives"and expand and deepen all-round cooperation.
Meng and Azimov signed a memorandum after their two-hour meeting and witnessed the signingof a pact to boost economic cooperation between the two countries' commerce ministries, underthe framework of Silk Road Economic Belt initiative.
China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental cooperation committee, established five years ago, playeda central role as a mechanism in planning, guiding and coordinating the two countries' all-roundcooperation.
As the chairman of the respective side of the committee, Meng and Azimov hoped theintergovernmental cooperation committee would continue to play its critical role and contribute tocementing the two countries' bilateral strategic partnership.
