Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Over the years of independent development, relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have developed in the spirit of mutual respect, trust and mutually beneficial partnership.

We are united by a common border, historical destiny, related languages, religion, cultural values, traditions and customs. Based on these fundamental bases, we have reached unprecedented heights across a wide range of interactions.

Politically, we have established an active and open dialogue at all levels. At the highest level, it is characterized by personal trusting relations between the leaders of our countries and mutual support.

With the coming to power of Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, the number of visits and meetings between top and high levels has sharply increased. The growth of ties between countries gives new contours to interstate cooperation.

In March 2017, the first state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kazakhstan took place. During the visit, a number of documents were signed on further deepening the strategic partnership and strengthening good neighborliness, on the avoidance of double taxation, on military cooperation, etc.

On 5-6 July 2018, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the city of Astana.

On 14-15 April 2019, the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan took place, during which the Year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan was opened.

During the visit of Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 6 December 2021 to Kazakhstan, issues of ensuring regional security were raised. This indicates that relations with Kazakhstan remain a priority in the foreign policy of our country.

The signing of the Declaration on Allied Relations between the two neighboring countries was a historic event that gave a new impetus to building a qualitatively new type of partnership between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

The main provisions of the signed declaration are the establishment of the Supreme Interstate Council, the Council of Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation and the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In addition to the issues of institutionalization of bilateral relations, it was decided to focus on deepening trade and economic cooperation. The heads of state instructed the governments to take measures to increase the volume of mutual trade up to 5 billion US dollars in the coming years and up to 10 billion US dollars in the medium term.

Only since the beginning of this year, the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have held 10 telephone conversations. The heads of our states agreed to establish a Supreme Interstate Council headed by them. In fact, a new tradition has been established of holding kind and warm meetings, as befits close neighbors and true friends.

Well-coordinated work is also being carried out at the governmental level, inter-parliamentary ties have been activated and strengthened. The interaction of the heads of state bodies and departments of our countries has been transferred to a close mode, which significantly speeds up decision-making.

On the international track, we have a common vision and similar views on many issues of the regional and international agenda. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are actively cooperating within the framework of the UN, CIS, SCO, CICA, OTS, OIC and other structures, which allows us to interact fruitfully and support each other.

The rapprochement between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the creation of a legal and institutional framework for strengthening bilateral relations will have a positive impact on multilateral cooperation, in general, on the emerging regional security of Central Asia.

In this regard, regular dialogue and interaction within the framework of the Consultative Meetings of the Leaders of the Central Asian States, as well as the “Central Asia Plus” formats, is of particular importance.

Our countries are moving in the wake of progressive development and strengthening of multifaceted ties, they have significant potential that will allow us to reach new frontiers of mutually beneficial cooperation.

I want to emphasize that a new chapter has been opened in the history of Uzbek-Kazakh cooperation - the status of interstate relations has been raised to the level of an alliance. This brings our countries to closer rapprochement, underlines the new highest confidential nature of relations between the two states.

On 21 December, the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan began. It became one of the first foreign visits of the leader of Kazakhstan after his re-election to the post of the President of the country, which indicates a high level of interaction, commitment to further strengthening the allied relations of the two states, their determination to further strengthen the centuries-old friendship, good neighborliness, mutual trust and full-scale partnership.

Without a doubt, this state visit to Uzbekistan by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will enrich the multifaceted cooperation between the two fraternal countries with specific content and bring bilateral relations to a fundamentally new level of interaction, and become clear evidence that the countries intend to further expand good neighborly, allied relations. Of course, this became possible thanks to the efforts of the leaders of our countries.

Sh.Kabilov,

MICA Chief Researcher