Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paid a state visit to Kazakhstan on 5-6 December.

At the talks of the presidents in Nur-Sultan, ways to further strengthen relations of friendship, good-neighborliness and strategic partnership between the two fraternal countries were considered, an exchange of views took place on international issues, the main areas of regional integration. One of the main issues was the provision of security and sustainable development of Central Asia.

During the meeting of the two leaders, a historic decision was made to bring the bilateral strategic partnership to the level of allied relations.

Thus, the new regional course of Uzbekistan, which began under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, radically changed interstate relations.

Taking into account the current situation in the region, bilateral cooperation has been intensified in a number of areas, including the fight against terrorism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking.

At the same time, the parties have significant potential to strengthen interaction and are ready to further develop cooperation within the framework of authoritative international and regional organizations, institutions and forums. Commitment was expressed to the early restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan, pointing out the importance of the contribution of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to the restoration of the economy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Interaction in the field of security is of a systemic nature. Consultations of the Security Councils, which ensure the best coordination of interagency cooperation in various areas, are gaining a permanent basis.

In February 2018, the Agreement on military-technical cooperation between the governments of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, signed in September 2017 in Tashkent, entered into force.

Since 2017, cooperation between defense departments has been carried out on the basis of annually approved Plans for bilateral military cooperation. On 22-23 November 2021, an official visit of the Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan took place, within the framework of which the Military Cooperation Plan for 2022 was signed.

In July 2018, the two countries held the first-ever joint military exercises at a training ground in Kazakhstan. In November 2021, "Hamkorlik-2021" military exercises held at the "Termez" training ground of the South-Western Special Military District, which became a continuation of the joint exercises "Kalkon-2021" at the "Matybulak" training ground in Jambyl region of Kazakhstan.

Within the framework of the Memorandum on Cooperation of Committees on Religious Affairs (Tashkent, 2019), work is underway to jointly train religious personnel in educational and research religious centers of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan take an active part in the work of a number of associations - the CIS, EurAsEC, SCO, CICA, OIC, OTG, C5 + 1 and other regional organizations, which have embarked on a course to strengthen economic, military-political and cultural cooperation between the participating countries.

Undoubtedly, Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit has become in demand for an exchange of views on a joint search for solutions in the current difficult situation. In order to follow a verified path, to determine the future contours and priorities of interstate relations in Central Asia, taking into account regional and global processes, the leaders of the two countries need to constantly “synchronize their watches”.

Shukhrat Kabilov,

Chief Researcher of the International Institute of Central Asia