The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, have decided to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership level during their meeting in Bukhara. The talks began with congratulations to the Kazakh leader for a successful referendum but quickly shifted to substantive dialogue. The leaders reaffirmed the effectiveness of informal regional communication, emphasizing that this approach enables swift solutions to complex cross-border and economic challenges.

Economic cooperation was the central focus of discussions: against the backdrop of current trade turnover of $5 billion, the presidents set an ambitious target to reach $10 billion. New cooperative projects in the chemical industry, geology, and energy will form the foundation for this growth. Special attention was paid to regional transport independence, with an agreement on large-scale modernization of border infrastructure to create transit corridors, opening the shortest routes for both countries' products to global markets.

Environmental security and future energy were equally significant topics, as the presidents discussed accelerating the construction of the Kambarata HPP-1 and prospects for exporting “clean” energy, which is critically important for the sustainable development of all Central Asia. The agenda also included rational water resource distribution and launching a joint “Clean Air” initiative in border areas.

The productive dialogue concluded with a direct instruction to the governments of both countries to develop a comprehensive “roadmap.” This document is to detail the implementation of all agreements reached, ranging from traditional industrial links to breakthrough cooperation in space technologies and the creative economy.

Source: podrobno.uz