'Historic' visit boosts ties with Uzbekistan

Fresh plans and projects for connectivity, energy and green development were among the major highlights of the official talks between President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand, a historical city of Uzbekistan, on Thursday.

Xi arrived in the Central Asian country on Wednesday night for a state visit. He will also attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand.

Following the two leaders' talks, representatives of related departments signed documents on cooperation in fields such as agriculture, digital economy, green development, culture, local governments and media.

Also during the visit, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on constructing the Kyrgyzstan section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

Xi told Mirziyoyev that China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to improve Eurasian transportation routes and push for the early start of the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

Speaking on boosting bilateral energy cooperation, Xi said the two countries should ensure the safe operation of China-Central Asia natural gas pipelines, expand collaboration in areas such as new energy, and build a new, multidimensional landscape for energy cooperation.