Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 13 October 2020, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodik Safoyev held a videoconference with Wang Cheng, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

During the conversation, the state and prospects of Uzbek-Chinese relations, including further intensification of the inter-parliamentary dialogue, were discussed.

It was noted that today the relations between the two countries demonstrate a qualitatively new round of active and dynamic development, which testifies to the commonality of the aspirations of both states to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Countries value traditional friendship, taking effective steps to expand it.

The parties noted that despite the persisting epidemiological difficulties, a regular political dialogue at the highest level is maintained between Uzbekistan and China.

Wang Cheng, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, highlighted the effectiveness of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s efforts to combat the pandemic, eliminate the consequences of COVID-19 and restore the country’s economy. In this context, the Chinese side expressed gratitude for humanitarian aid during the pandemic. “The Chinese people never forget that in the most important period of the fight against the pandemic, they received very important support from their Uzbek friends. You have collected and delivered very valuable medical supplies for us in a very short time. The public in Uzbekistan has provided support to China in a variety of ways. This testifies to the essence of a comprehensive strategic partnership between our countries,” emphasized Wang Cheng.

Speaking about the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation, it was noted that in recent years considerable experience has been accumulated in interaction between the parliaments of our countries, and close partnerships have been established. In this context, during the meeting, the issue of organizing the visit of Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Li Zhanshu to Uzbekistan was considered. In turn, the parties stressed that this visit will give a powerful impetus to further strengthening the interaction between the legislative bodies of our countries. Particular attention is paid to the need to saturate the agenda of the upcoming event with practical content.

Concerning cooperation within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Chinese side emphasized that Uzbekistan and China hold close and coinciding positions on many issues of the regional and international agenda. The high level and constructive interaction within the framework of international organizations, including in the IPU, was noted, which is confirmed by the mutual support of the parties at the international level.

The parties were unanimous in the opinion that the intensification of inter-parliamentary ties deepens cooperation between the two countries. This, in turn, gives new dynamics to interaction in the spheres of economy, trade, industry, transport, construction, science, education and culture.

During the meeting, the parties discussed other issues of bilateral cooperation.