President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambaev arrived in Samarkand on 24 December with a working visit. 

The Uzbek and Kyrgyz people are close neighbours, who have lived throughout ages side by side in peace and accord. Our nations share united history, common cultural and religious values, similar traditions and customs. 

In the years of independence Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have carried on developing a traditional cooperation. In recent years the bilateral exchanges have significantly accelerated. The telephone conversations of the heads of state took place, the exchange of delegations at the level of governments and regions were carried out. The public of the two countries have positively assessed the reciprocal visits of the delegations to Andijan and Osh cities. 

The representatives of the two countries participated in the observation missions at the elections in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambaev visited the burial place of First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov at the Khazrati Khizr complex and paid a tribute of respect to his bright memory.

Later, the Presidents visited the "JV MAN Auto Uzbekistan" Uzbek-German joint venture. 

The high-level guest learned about the production capacity of the joint venture and the conditions, established here. During the years of independence, Uzbekistan has entered the rank of leading car manufacturers. Today the products of the Uzbek auto industry enjoy a huge demand in many countries, including Kyrgyzstan. 

Establishment of JV MAN Auto Uzbekistan company laid a foundation in the new phase of developing domestic auto manufacturing. In accordance with the resolution of First President Islam Karimov "On measures to further develop production of heavy duty trucks" on 16 February 2011, a complex on manufacturing and servicing MAN heavy duty trucks have been constructed in Uzbekistan. 

Modern trucks with carrying capacity from 15 to 50 tons are manufactured here, including auto cranes, flatbed machines, isometric vans, water carriers, combined road, channels machines, concrete mixers, machines for transportation of cotton and waste. 

Mechanical engineers and technicians on technical maintenance of trucks are trained at the Training centre, organized in the territory of the plant. 

On the basis of "MAN ProfiDrive" special training courses, drivers of heavy-duty trucks are trained in safe and effective operating of the machinery. Training drivers in this system allows to save fuel by 20-30%, reduce wear and tear, safely operate trucks. 

The President of the Kyrgyz Republic highly evaluated the activity of the company, equipped by modern standards and with latest technologies, which has turned into one of the success stories of the auto industry of our country. 

Almazbek Atambaev acquainted with modern cars, trucks, tractors and other agricultural machinery, manufactured in Uzbekistan. 

The negotiations between President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambaev took place at the "Forumlar majmuasi" Palace. 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed gratitude to Almazbek Atambaev for sincere condolences regarding the death of the First President of Uzbekistan and paying a tribute of respect to the memory of Islam Karimov, which is a high symbol of respect to the peoples of Uzbekistan. 

It was underlined that the visit of Almazbek Atambaev demonstrates that Kyrgyzstan attaches an important significance to developing relations with Uzbekistan. 

The President of Kyrgyzstan once again congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev with a confident victory in the elections for the post of the President of Uzbekistan. 

The Heads of state discussed the issues of further developing the political dialogue and enhancing economic relations, exchanged opinions on several problems of regional and international nature. 

The parties focused on the problem of "creeping expansion" of extremism and religious radicalism in the region. It was highlighted that it is necessary to consolidate interactions in the security sphere in order to counter such threats and challenges. 

While discussing the issues of resolution of the situation in Afghanistan, the parties noted that achieving peace and stability in this country is a vitally important condition for ensuring security of the whole region, implementing prospective and demanded transport-communications projects and achieving further economic development. 

The Heads of state expressed firm willingness to maintain the course of strengthening the policy of good-neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperation, to enrich the Uzbek-Kyrgyz relations with qualitatively new contents. 

The parties expressed a confidence that the program of cooperation between the foreign ministries of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan for 2016-2017 will serve to form a new platform for the political dialogue. 

The trade-economic cooperation is an important sphere of inter-governmental relations. As noted during discussions on this topic, despite 23% growth in the past period of this year, the indicators of mutual trade turnover remain low and do not correspond to the real capacities of the two countries. 

The Presidents underlined the need to jointly adopt measures on cardinal increase of the assortment and the volume of mutual trade to 500 million US dollars in the next two years. 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that in this regard it is necessary to organize a systemic supply to Kyrgyzstan of modern agricultural machinery, cars and trucks, buses, manufactured in Uzbekistan, to be filled with service facilities. 

The Kyrgyz partners were also presented the opportunities to supply ammonium nitrate, phosphorus, potash and NPK fertilizers, electro-technical products- from transformers to all kinds of cable and wire products and home appliances, as well as finished textiles, construction materials, medicines, furniture and educational-laboratory equipment, other industrial products. 

In its turn, the Kyrgyz side may reconsider the assortment and organized supplies of demanded products to Uzbekistan. 

In this regard the need to establish a long-term direct cooperation between corresponding institutions of the two countries was underscored. 

Development of effective transport corridors in the region is a strategic area of the economic cooperation. Construction of the shortest railway rote, linking Central Asia with China through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, allows to significantly increase the transit potential of not only the two countries, but also the whole region. 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev underlined that specialists of Uzbekistan are ready to take part in designing and constructing the parts of the corridor in the territory of Kyrgyzstan. 

The cultural-humanitarian cooperation is also one of the main components of the bilateral relations. 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Almazbek Atambaev expressed a certainty that the agreements, reached during the negotiations, will elevate the relations to a qualitatively new level, serve to open new pages of the mutually beneficial cooperation. 

UzA