FM holds meeting with Uzbek counterpart

China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to strengthen strategic alignment, step up mutual understanding and support, and deepen exchanges on governance experience to jointly promote bilateral ties to a new level, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

The remarks came as Wang met with Uzbek Acting Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov in Nur-Sultan, capital city of Kazakhstan. The two are in Kazakhstan to attend the third China+Central Asia foreign ministers' meeting.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan.

Wang said the mutual trust and friendship between the two heads of state has provided important guidance for the development of bilateral ties.

China will help Uzbekistan accelerate industrialization and enhance its independent development capability, Wang said.

Wang underlined the need to implement the five-year plan for intergovernmental economic, trade and investment cooperation, and select a number of major cooperation projects of strategic significance.

Efforts should be made to strengthen traditional energy cooperation and safeguard the safe and stable operation of the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline, he said.

The two countries could expand new energy cooperation in energy areas such as nuclear, solar and wind, he added.

Norov said thanks to the friendship and leadership of the two heads of state, bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented level.

Uzbekistan values its friendship with China and would like to forge bilateral ties as an example of state-to-state relations, he said.

He noted Uzbekistan would firmly abide by the one-China principle, advance joint Belt and Road cooperation and promote mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation in various fields including economic and trade investment, energy production capacity and green agriculture.

Both thought highly of the role of the China+Central Asia cooperation mechanism. Norov appreciated China's important and constructive role in regional cooperation, saying the development and revitalization of Central Asia are closely linked with China.

The two countries will bolster communication and coordination in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Wang said China supports Uzbekistan in successfully holding the SCO summit in September in Samarkand.

The two sides exchanged views on the Afghan issue. Norovspoke highly of China's important role in Afghanistan's reconstruction and said Uzbekistan is willing to jointly promote the harmony, stability and peaceful development of Afghanistan.