The meeting took place as part of the Russian Prime Minister’s working visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva
Excerpt from the transcript:
Saida Mirziyoyeva: Mr Mishustin, we are delighted to welcome you to Uzbekistan. We know you as a loyal friend of Uzbekistan. Thanks to your unshakable
support, our cooperation is making dynamic strides. Thank you very much for that.
Allow me to offer my best wishes to you on the occasion of Russia Day that was celebrated just a few days ago. The Russian Federation’s achievements in science, technology, and the economy are admirable. I wish your country and the Russian people prosperity and continued success.
Notably, thanks to good relations between our respective leaders, Russia-Uzbekistan cooperation is a trust-based alliance that stood the test of time, and is also a model of genuine strategic partnership. The President of Uzbekistan was in the Russian Federation twice this year: once in May in Moscow and recently in St Petersburg to participate in a summit, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and, most importantly, the laying of the first reactor unit of a nuclear power plant.
The NPP project is critically important for us; it will lay the foundation of a new high-tech industry. It is crucial for us to have this project delivered at a top quality level. We worked closely with the Executive Office of the President of Russia. Negotiations on this project lasted eight years. Mr Kiriyenko was instrumental in helping us take this project to the phase of laying the foundation and the start of construction quickly, literally within a few months, if I’m not mistaken, even a month and a half.
Our respective governments cooperate closely as well. Recently, a large delegation led by Mr Manturov attended Innoprom. He and I met and had a very warm exchange.
I flew in to Tashkent back then. We had a new airport built there. We landed in Tashkent, I saw a massive number of aircraft and I thought to myself, “Who might that be?” It was the Russian delegation arriving for Innoprom.
In general, things are going well, Mr Mishustin, thanks to your support among other things. With regard to the humanitarian sphere, we held three cultural events on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Mariinsky Theatre hosted the premiere of our opera Tamerlane. The audience kept applauding for 30 minutes. We highly appreciate that. The Mariinsky is a cultural summit, the best stage there is, if you ask me. We also unveiled an exhibition at the Hermitage dedicated to the art of the Emir of Bukhara Court. I know you are a busy person, but please visit it if you have a minute to spare. We also opened an exhibition at the Fabergé Museum. There were so many events. I thought I would fly there, but the President went instead.
Things are going very well in education, too. Uzbekistan boasts the largest number of Russian universities [compared to other CIS countries]. We are very proud of this. I believe there is potential for growth. I would very much like to see private schools opening as well. The demand is very strong. We can discuss this later.
Thank you, Mr Mishustin. Welcome to Uzbekistan! We are delighted to have you with us.
Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Ms Mirziyoyeva. I am very glad to see you. Thank you for the traditionally gracious welcome that you personally, distinguished Mr Mirziyoyev, and Mr Aripov, as we as our colleagues extend to the Russian delegation. We always enjoy very warm and friendly welcome in Uzbekistan. Believe me, the feeling is mutual.
Also, all representatives of Russian business, industry, and energy listened very carefully to what the President of Uzbekistan had to say in his speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and discussed it extensively afterwards. It was, in my view, an excellent speech. The President spoke about bilateral cooperation, which is making great strides with the support of our leaders.
Our respective governments were tasked with bringing the trade up to $30 billion. We are doing everything we can to diversify trade and economic cooperation.
You mentioned the first nuclear power plant. Indeed, it has finally happened. This is a critically important decision. A high-tech industry will be created, and highly-skilled research and technology personnel will be trained.
Extensive cooperation also covers agriculture, the manufacturing industry, and infrastructure. Today we discussed transport modality, the Trans-Afghan Corridor, the North-South Corridor, and much more. Projects abound.
Without a doubt, we are pursuing bilateral projects as well. Russia is one of the leaders in terms of direct investment in Uzbekistan. Thank you for the environment you created in Uzbekistan for investors from Russia.
I would also like to personally thank you for your support of and respectful attitude towards the Russian language.
