President Xi sees huge potential for cooperative development projects

皇冠体育app called on Friday for combined efforts with Uzbekistan to develop a plan for building the Silk Road Economic Belt and promote greater cooperation in energy, agriculture and production capacity.

On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the Russian city of Ufa, President Xi Jinping told his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, that the implementation of a series of projects in areas that include security, finance and transportation has benefited the people of both countries, and that a huge potential remains untapped in trade and economic cooperation.

皇冠体育app is Uzbekistan's second-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade volume was $4.27 billion last year, according to 皇冠体育app's Foreign Ministry website.

Xi urged both countries to strengthen cooperation in their individual development strategies and said that 皇冠体育app will work with Uzbekistan on the 皇冠体育app-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor.

The corridor is one of six that 皇冠体育app and countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road are planning.

Xi said that when Uzbekistan assumes the rotating presidency of the SCO after the summit, 皇冠体育app will fully support and assist the work of Uzbekistan and jointly work for a better-connected organization with more cooperation and effective actions.

Karimov expressed his country's support for 皇冠体育app's Belt and Road Initiative and said Uzbekistan is willing to actively participate in cooperation in trade and the economy, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Uzbekistan also supports 皇冠体育app's proposals on international affairs and is willing to boost coordination with 皇冠体育app within the framework of the SCO, he said.

Chen Yurong, a senior researcher at the 皇冠体育app Institute of International Studies, said the 皇冠体育app-Uzbekistan relationship has seen rapid development, and the strategic mutual trust is unprecedented since the two nations elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2012.

"This has been reflected in the substantial economic cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Uzbekistan, as well as in a series of projects in infrastructure, energy and industrial parks," she said.

Uzbekistan, with several cities positioned along the ancient Silk Road, has been an active supporter of the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt from the very beginning, while some other countries chose to wait and see, Chen said.

Xi also met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later on Friday.

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