Оn September 5, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Kyrgyzstan with a state visit at the invitation of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambayev. 

The official meeting was held at "Manas" international airport. The President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambayev met the head of our state. The national flags of the two countries were raised and a guard of honor was lined up at the airport in honor of the honored guest. 

National anthems of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has sounded. The heads of the states passed the guard of honor. 

Recently, traditional cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has been enriched with new content, interrelationship has been significantly intensified. The meetings of the heads of the states at the highest level and visits of delegations at the level of governments and regions were held. 

Our people have lived side by side on the banks of one river since ancient times. We have a common history, similar cultural and religious values, traditions and customs. As the well-known writer Chingiz Aitmatov said, "our people share one blood, one language". 

At the Ala-Archa residence in Bishkek, the meeting of the heads of the two states in a narrow format was held. The sides discussed prospects of further expansion and deepening of cooperation in political, trade, economic, transport, communication, cultural, humanitarian and other spheres, issues of intensification of cooperation between the border regions of the two countries, as well as current regional and international problems of mutual interest. 

The President of our country expressed gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic for the sincere reception and special respect shown to the delegation of Uzbekistan. 

We highly appreciate historical fraternal and good-neighborly relations between our people. This serves as a solid basis for strengthening cooperation between our states, said the head of our state. 

Almazbek Atambayev, welcoming Shavkat Mirziyoyev who arrived in Kyrgyzstan with a state visit, noted that this is a logical continuation of the dialogue between our states at the highest level, a convenient opportunity for discussing issues of mutual interest, emphasized the consistent development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two states in all spheres. 

The meeting of the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan continued with participation of official delegations. 

During the meetings, current issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation were discussed. Views were exchanged on further development of relations in political, trade and economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres. 

The Central Asian region has a priority in the foreign policy of Uzbekistan. The visit of the President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev last December to Samarkand served as a starting point for the current negotiations, which were continued in the spirit of Samarkand meeting. 

Over the past period of 2017, the trade turnover between our countries has increased by 60 percent. 

At the meeting, the Presidents agreed also on the rational use of water resources in accordance with the common interests of our states. 

At the previous meetings, the heads of the two states discussed issues of development of effective transport communications in the region, construction of a railway through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, which will allow to shorten the route to China. This time, an agreement was reached on accelerating the creation of a legal framework for cooperation in this direction. 

In a short time, relations between our regions have become stronger. Confirmation of this is the visits of representatives of Batkent, Jalalabad, Osh regions to Andijan, the delegation of Uzbekistan to Osh. 

The President of our country proposed creation of a Council of khokims in the border areas in order to consistently fulfill the reached agreements. 

Special attention is paid to strengthening and expanding close cooperation in cultural and humanitarian sphere, friendship and good-neighborly relations between the two states. In this regard, it is worth noting the successful tour of the Osh State Academic Uzbek Music and Drama Theater named after Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur in Fergana Valley in February this year, and in June – the collective of the Uzbek State Music Theater named after Mukimi in Osh, Uzgen, Aravan, Navkat, Karasu, Jalalabad. 

A secondary school that is being built with the assistance of Uzbekistan in Osh is also a vivid example of friendship of our people. This school will be provided with modern educational equipment and supplies, textbooks, literature. 

In October this year it was decided to hold Days of Culture of Uzbekistan in Kyrgyzstan, and in 2018 – Days of Culture of Kyrgyzstan in Uzbekistan. 

Representatives of Kyrgyzstan took the second place at the recently held "Sharq taronalari" International Music Festival in Samarkand. 

Today there are about 300 thousand of our compatriots of Kyrgyz nationality in Uzbekistan. All conditions have been created for the development of their culture, language, traditions and customs. There are 6 Kyrgyz national cultural centers, education in 56 schools is conducted in the Kyrgyz language. 

The negotiations clearly demonstrated the consistent development of bilateral relations and broad prospects for strengthening cooperation in priority areas. 

As a result of negotiations, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Almazbek Atambayev signed the Joint Statement, the Agreement on Uzbek-Kyrgyz state border. Intergovernmental agreements on trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the cities of Andijan and Osh, Tashkent and Bishkek, cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries, cooperation and mutual assistance on the issues of compliance with tax legislation, cooperation between the regions, agreements on scientific and technical cooperation in the sphere of higher education, Plan for joint activities on further deepening and expanding cooperation between the border regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic for 2017-2019, Memorandum on Inter-parliamentary Cooperation and other important documents were also signed. 

At the meeting with mass media representatives, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Almazbek Atambayev noted that the negotiations were held in an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and constructiveness and that the achieved historic agreements will raise the level of cooperation between our countries to a qualitatively new level. 

The state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Kyrgyz Republic continues. 

UzA