Chinese, Uzbek FMs hold talks on deepening cooperation

TASHKENT, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks here on Thursday with Uzbekistan's Acting Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov on deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields.

During their talks, Wang said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 30 years ago, China-Uzbekistan relations have withstood the test of the changing international situation and grown stronger; their friendship has overcome challenges and become increasingly unbreakable; their cooperation has yielded fruitful results and gained more vitality.

Wang attributed the success to the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and the joint efforts of the people of the two countries.

China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and social stability as well as continuing to follow the path of development and revitalization in line with its national conditions, and opposes any external interference in its internal affairs, he said.

Wang said that China stands ready to follow the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to push forward the leapfrog development of bilateral relations and open up the next three decades of greater friendship, higher level of mutual trust, common development and shared prosperity between China and Uzbekistan.

Calling Uzbekistan and China good brothers and friends, Norov said over the past 30 years, the two countries have consistently respected each other, treated each other as equals, set an example of mutually beneficial cooperation and served as a stable anchor for regional peace and development.

Norov said that Uzbekistan welcomes and supports the important initiatives put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, including the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative.

Norov briefed Wang on Uzbekistan's preparations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to be held in autumn and thanked China for its strong support.