Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 18 November 2020, the chairperson of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva met with the Ambassador of Israel to Uzbekistan, Mrs. Zeavit Ben Hillel.

The sides discussed issues of expanding bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and Israel, as well as ongoing reforms to ensure gender equality.

It was noted that relations between the two countries in recent years have achieved significant results both in bilateral and multilateral formats of interaction. Contacts between parliaments have noticeably revived and acquired a regular character.

According to the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Uzbekistan highly appreciates the desire to develop mutually beneficial and long-term projects and is interested in further deepening all-round cooperation with Israel in the political, trade and economic, cultural, humanitarian, military and military-technical spheres, as well as in security issues.

In 2019, mutual trade amounted to only US$47 million. And for the first nine months of this year, it reached US$18.5 million. They spoke about the advisability of taking measures to increase trade, expand opportunities, including the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of tourism, health care and education.

“Israel is following the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan with great interest,” noted the Ambassador of Israel to Uzbekistan, Mrs. Zeavit Ben Hillel. - We see your country’s aspirations to stabilize the situation in Central Asia, which are yielding results. As for the relations between our countries, it is important for us to strengthen economic ties. In addition, it is advisable to cooperate to strengthen human rights, ensure gender equality, unite efforts, and, if possible, organize your side’s participation in our projects to protect and support women, and strengthen their role in society. One of these days, an online dialogue of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs will be held, during which issues of international cooperation will be discussed. In addition, another important event expected is the holding of the First Meeting of the Inter-Economic Intergovernmental Commission in 2021. It is also planned to strengthen cultural relations, including the creation of a museum of Bukharian Jews, which would tell about the friendly relations between the two peoples. I also think that it is important to establish the regularity of high-level visits, to strengthen inter-parliamentary relations.

During the meeting, issues of attracting investments, modern technologies and advanced knowledge of Israel for the modernization of the economy, the transition to an innovative development model were considered. Measures to ensure gender equality were also discussed.

The parties expressed their readiness to continue building up inter-parliamentary partnership on a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

It was noted that the parliamentary group of Uzbekistan is working in the updated parliament to develop cooperation with the parliament of the State of Israel.

The issue of further deepening inter-parliamentary ties in expanding bilateral cooperation, which play an important role in the early ratification of international treaties in all areas, was discussed.

Following the meeting, the parties came to a common opinion on the further development of Uzbek-Israeli inter-parliamentary cooperation by intensifying the exchange of parliamentary delegations on an ongoing basis after the end of the epidemiological situation.

According to the participants, the mutual commitment of parliaments will serve to expand and deepen relations between Uzbekistan and Israel.