OREANDA-NEWS. On September 11, 2008 the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov arrived in the Republic of Azerbaijan with official visit, the agencies reported.

The visit of the Uzbek Leader to Baku began with a welcoming ceremony in Zagulba residence. Islam Karimov and Ilham Aliev stepped up to the podium. The state anthems of both countries were played. Then the two presidents observed the honorable guard lined up in honor of the high-level guest.

Then the both presidents held tete-a-tete talks.

Islam Karimov said that ancient ties of friendship between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, similarity of traditions and cultures, common language and religion create big opportunities to all-round development of mutual cooperation. He expressed confidence that during this visit the both sides would agree on many mutually beneficial issues to upgrade the Uzbek-Azerbaijan relations to a new level.

While welcoming the Uzbek President, Ilham Aliev noted that today’s talks were the logical continuation of the high-level meeting held in 2004 in Tashkent. Azerbaijan pays profound attention to this visit of the President Islam Karimov.

During the talks the sides exchanged views on current and perspective Uzbek-Azerbaijan relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. The sides noted the conformity of views on the issues discussed. The goals and strives of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan in developing bilateral cooperation are common, and both countries are partners in political issues.

The Presidents paid particular attention to security issues. The sides discussed the ways of joint struggle against such threats as international terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational crime.

Then the presidents held delegation-format talks. The sides exchanged the views on a number of urgent issues of Uzbek-Azerbaijan cooperation, in particular, trade, economic, investment, scientific, technical and humanitarian issues. 

It was noted at the talks that the level of economic cooperation does not fully reflect the opportunities and potentials of both countries. The volume of trade between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan in 2007 made up 60.4 million US dollars. Twenty-one joint ventures are operating in Uzbekistan with the participation of Azerbaijan partners.

By developing direct partnership ties between business circles of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, expanding investment cooperation the trade and economic indicators can be raised several times. In this context, the stepping up of the work of Uzbek-Azerbaijan intergovernmental joint commission, holding business forums, presentations of economic potential of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, exhibitions and other events are important.

In particular, joint commission is engaged in seeking and finding new possibilities not yet applied, defining the ways of expanding the scales of cooperation, developing mutual beneficial projects. Economic forums will promote not only signing of new agreements, but also raise awareness among business cycles on the opportunities of the both states. 

To develop links in banking and financial sector, reconsider substantially the list of exporting goods and services of the two states are also in need. It is important in expanding the dialog between the businessmen.

During the talks the delegations paid particular attention to the humanitarian cooperation. Literary heritage, culture and arts of the Uzbek and Azerbaijan nations are spiritually close. 

Association of Azerbaijan Cultural Center is operating in Uzbekistan starting from 2003.

It should be noted that during the state visit of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev to Uzbekistan in March 2004 the monument of Nizamiy was established at one of the picturesque parts of the city of Tashkent – square located around Babur Park and Nizami Tashkent State Pedagogic University. President Islam Karimov named it “symbol of respect and trust to fraternal Azerbaijani nation, its ancient history and culture, its ever-burning spirit, will and firmness, tested during centuries, its bright future.”

During the talks the sides agreed to hold more joint cultural events, develop relations in such fields as tourism, sports, education, science and healthcare.

On the outcomes of the negotiations, the sides signed intergovernmental agreements on cooperation and information exchange in tax sphere, mutual protection of confidential information, humanitarian cooperation, on further measures to develop trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation, on measures to further deepen cooperation in the sphere of railroad transport and develop joint transportations, as well as interagency agreements on cooperation in the sphere of environment and information and communication area.

At the meeting with mass media the presidents noted that the talks were held in the atmosphere of mutual respect and accord. The delegations discussed main issues of mutual beneficial cooperation. They emphasized that documents signed on the outcomes of the talks would serve to multi-term interests of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, development of both countries and raising of well being of the nations.