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Following the narrow format talks, consultations continued with the delegation members at a working breakfast.

Following the talks, a package of documents was signed. The parties have signed intergovernmental agreements on delivering oil products by rail, on expanding cooperation in oil supplies, and on instituting a General Consulate of the Russian Federation in the city of Samarkand. They have also signed a number of documents related, specifically, to organising Agroexpress high-speed rail carriage, scientific and scientific and technical cooperation, and cooperation between Russian Railways and O'zbekiston temir yo'llari [Uzbekistan Railways].

Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev also adopted a Joint Statement on deepening comprehensive strategic partnership and allied relations.

The presidents of Russia and Uzbekistan made statements for the press.

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Beginning of Russia-Uzbekistan narrow-format talks

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Mirziyoyev,

I am delighted to welcome you to Moscow.

Our relations are developing quite successfully, and we confirm the high level and nature of our allied relations. We continue to work in this spirit.

I would like to thank you for your personal contribution to the development of relations between Russia and Uzbekistan. They are developing dynamically in all areas.

I would like to begin with the economy. Our trade increased by 26 percent last year and by 14.4 percent in the first seven months of 2023.

Russia confidently holds first place in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade. There are 3,000 companies with Russian capital in Uzbekistan and 700 Uzbek companies work in Russia.

We have taken a number of serious long-term decisions regarding the further development of our trade and economic ties. The intergovernmental commission has been working actively and effectively.

I know that you have visited Kazan. We are proud of that wonderful city and its progress. I hope you will share your impressions with us. I know that it was not just a familiarisation visit but also a business trip, the business part of your visit [to Russia]. There are many things Tatarstan has to offer.

Relations between our regions are progressing at a fast pace. Many regions in the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan maintain direct ties and contacts. Our colleagues in the regions are making a substantial contribution to the development of relations between our states.

Humanitarian and cultural ties are important too. Only recently, your national ballet performed at the Bolshoi Theatre, and it was quite a success. Ms Matviyenko attended the event and shared her impressions with me.

We are proactive in working together on the international stage, primarily within the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and of course the CIS. We will soon see each other at the CIS Summit in Kyrgyzstan.

We also interact on other matters that are rather sensitive, and we will discuss them during our narrow-format meeting.

Mr Mirziyoyev, I am very glad to see you. Welcome.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Mr Putin,

First, thank you so much for inviting me to pay an official visit to Russia. We have been preparing it for quite a while now and invested serious efforts in the process with all these telephone conversations we have had. What I mean is that we created a very solid foundation for this visit.

I wanted to say that the relations between our countries have reached a new high. In Samarkand, we signed a Declaration on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Allied Relations. We are allies, and this comprehensive strategic partnership carries on. We are witnessing progress and tangible results across the board.

I believe that the relations between our two countries have reached quite a good level. We are colleagues and partners. Everything you and I agree upon becomes reality in all its aspects.

You mentioned mutual trade. In fact, we have never seen that much growth before. We expect trade to reach $12 billion by the end of the year. On average, this indicator has increased by 20 percent every year. If this growth carries on at this pace for another two or three years, we will reach $20 billion, as we have agreed.

I believe that this is quite feasible considering what you have said on the extensive preparations we have undertaken. On September 18, the Prime Ministers [Mikhail Mishustin and Abdulla Aripov] had a meeting, and the intergovernmental commission is up and running. In fact, they have been quite effective considering the meaningful results they achieved.

Of course, I cannot fail to mention the serious efforts underway to promote region-to-region ties. We were behind this push, and now the Third Russia-Uzbekistan Region-to-Region Cooperation Forum has taken place. We sought your advice and guidance on this matter. There were about 3,000 participants from Russia and Uzbekistan at yesterday’s regional forum in Kazan. This was the first time that all of our 14 regions were represented at the level of their top regional officials. The co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Commission [Denis Manturov and Zhamshid Khodzhayev] presented their solid performance reports yesterday.

I am very happy that our colleagues in the regions are so serious about promoting their ties, and this cooperation is very promising. As you and I always say, all we have to do is accompany their efforts, and we will see tangible results.

A rectors’ forum has taken place in St Petersburg, this is a very good result. There are branches of 14 Russian of universities [in Uzbekistan], and yesterday we decided to open the 15^th, a branch of the Russian Pirogov Medical University. We have already discussed it and starting next year, 15 universities will operate in Uzbekistan, including the Pirogov branch. I believe this is a major achievement as well.

A forum of medical personnel of Uzbekistan and Russia took place in Samarkand. Our colleagues put forth great efforts. People in Uzbekistan saw that many Russian skilled doctors performed surgeries and offered consultations. We agreed to conduct system-wide work in many areas during the year, and meet not once, but two or three times.

I want to use this opportunity to speak about the cultural sphere: for the first time, our National Ballet performed at the Bolshoi Theatre. I am very thankful to you for the organisation and the participation of such high-ranking Russian officials. You know, it was a week-long sensation here; people were happy to see the Lazgi ballet, our national pride, being performed there for the first time. We are also proud that the spectators in Russia received it very well. I am very thankful for that.

Overall, as you already noted, we do not have unresolved issues; all of our agreements are being implemented. As we agreed, our ministers and members of the commission treat this very seriously and responsibly. Before lunch today, I met with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. We once again had a detailed discussion on all matters.

I saw the centre [the Government Coordination Centre], and I was very impressed. I compliment you on having such a centre in Russia, and our Russian colleagues want to exchange their experience with us. We very much appreciate that.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Mishustin reported in detail on this at the meeting.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev: We spoke in detail about all positives and negatives, and there are no negatives, only positives. So, I appreciate this.

Thank you very much.

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