Thank you Excellency President Mirziyoev,

Distinguished representatives of Mass Media,

First of all, I would like to once again express my sincere and cordial gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev for the invitation to visit brotherly Uzbekistan on a state visit.

We very much welcome this visit and attach particular importance to its results.

As it was already mentioned, on the results of today’s negotiations, we made new historically important decisions.

These decisions determine the basis for further advancement of the Tajik-Uzbek relations to new heights and in a qualitatively different format.

From my side, I would also like to highlight the tremendous importance of the package of documents we signed today, which significantly expands the legal framework of our multifaceted cooperation. The Strategic Partnership Agreement is the key document we signed in this package.

The decision to uprising our interstate cooperation to a higher level of strategic partnership is a legitimate and logical outcome of the great positive changes in our relations.

In this regard, I would like to highlight the mutual desire of the parties to convert into practical terms the decisions made in the framework of the milestone visit of His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich to Tajikistan in March of this year.

Its outcomes became a significant driver in dynamic development of the entire complex of the Tajik-Uzbek cooperation in a new vein.

The comprehensive solution we found to problematic issues and other relevant topics on the agenda of our relations largely contributed to it.

For six months of this year, the trade between our countries has doubled compared to the corresponding period of the last year.

Only during the Business Forum held within the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Tajikistan, seventeen documents on cooperation were signed for a total amount of more than 600m U.S. dollars.

A part of these documents, including the agreements on cooperation in the field of electricity and gas supply, and the financial sector have been actively implemented currently.

I believe that the results of the exhibition «Made in Tajikistan» and the joint Tajik-Uzbek business forum in Tashkent within the framework of my visit will be equally fruitful.

Thanks to the favorable condition we created for free movement of our citizens, the number of mutual trips has significantly increased. During the six months of this year, more than one million citizens of our countries and other foreigners crossed the Tajik-Uzbek border for various purposes, including tourism.

Tajikistan is determined to move consistently forward along the ascendants in a qualitatively new format of bilateral relations. In this vein, we supported further joint steps aimed at consolidating the practical outcomes we achieved in all aspects of our cooperation, including the basic trade and economic ties. In this regard, we expressed interest in further diversifying the commodity classification in our bilateral trade.

We also paid a proper attention to improving the conditions for export and import activities, creating joint ventures and ensuring investment cooperation between our countries.

During the talks, we emphasized the importance of continuing our joint activities to improve the conditions for the mutually beneficial use of the transit and transport potential of our countries.

In this context, the measures we have been undertaking to strengthen and maintain the active bilateral interaction mechanisms are very timely.

I think that the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation is called upon to become a catalyst for making operational decisions on topical issues of cooperation in all areas.

We have abundant potential in the field of interaction and direct contacts between cities and regions of our countries.

Therefore, we welcome the signing of agreements on cooperation between the local authorities of Khatlon and Surkhandarya, as well as Sogd and Samarkand provinces.

His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich and I noted the importance of further constructive cooperation on the use of water and energy resources.

Interstate relations will not succeed if they do not facilitate the links between ordinary people and people-to-people communication.

Taking into account the positive impact of the simplified procedure we have introduced for mutual trips of citizens of our countries, we expressed our views on the further liberalization of the regime of mutual trips between our states.

We have noted the importance of ensuring coherent work of the relevant border authorities to create favorable conditions for the free movement of people, capital, goods and services.

We are pleased with the expanded contacts and the specific relations we established in the cultural and humanitarian spheres. The exchange between artistic groups, their mutual participation in festivals, scientific conferences, symposia and other events held in two countries has become a good tradition.

All this contribute to the strengthening of mutual understanding between peoples and their further rapprochement.

We have highlighted the important role played by the Tajik and Uzbek communities living in our countries in this process.

In this context, we noted the importance of taking practical measures to expand the network of general education schools with Tajik and Uzbek mediums, create necessary conditions for learning and teaching of Tajik and Uzbek languages in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan respectively.

Within this visit of mine we also signed an important agreement on mutual recognition of state documents in the sphere of education.

This step will open the way to the expansion of the bilateral cooperation in the sphere of higher education and science.

We, as strategic partners, spoke out in favor of closer coordination and cooperation in the spheres of security and defense.

We will pay a special attention to the joint counteraction to terrorism, extremism, manifestations of radical religious ideology, illicit drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, and strengthening military as well as military and technical cooperation.

In this context, we will focus on practical implementation of the signed agreements on cooperation between our law enforcement, security and defense agencies.

We consider the fruitful cooperation in these areas as a factor for maintaining peace and stability in our countries and throughout the region.

Cooperation with Uzbekistan in the field of multilateral diplomacy, including in the framework of the UN, the CIS, the SCO, as well as other international institutions is of great importance for us.

We are keen to do our utmost efforts for the further rapprochement of the Central Asian countries and enhancement of positive trends in the development of regional cooperation.

As a Party always open for constructive dialogue on these issues, Tajikistan welcomes the initiative of His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich to hold the next consultation meeting of the heads of Central Asian states in Uzbekistan next year on the eve of the International Navruz holiday.

While discussing the issue of Afghanistan, we highly valued the results of the International High-Level Conference on Afghanistan held in Tashkent in late March of this year. In this context, we supported further joint actions to provide every possible support to the process of peacebuilding in this neighboring country.

We constantly follow the success and achievements of Uzbekistan, we sincerely commend them, and we are proud of the brotherly Uzbek people.

We are pleased with the dynamics of the development of the partnership between our countries, which we reached thanks to our constant political contacts, including at the high level. We will continue encouraging close interstate relationships of trust at all levels and in various formats.

I invited my dear brother, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev, to visit Tajikistan any time convenient for him.

Let me once again extend my gratitude to you, dear Shavkat Miromonovich, and in your person to the brotherly people of Uzbekistan for an exceptionally warm welcome and traditional Uzbek hospitality.

Thank you.