In your opinion, how can the Belt and Road Initiative and the SCO’s framework for cooperation complement each other?

Since the moment President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, Uzbekistan has been showing support for this initiative which aims to promote common development. The initiative has both a clear roadmap and concrete development plans.

What should be pointed out is that the friendly relationship between the Uzbek and Chinese people is closely connected by the ancient Silk Road. This route links China’s ancient capital of Xi’an with the Uzbek city of Samarkand, eventually reaching Damascus and Rome, through which goods from different countries were traded worldwide.

We believe the construction of the Belt and Road together with the UzbekistanTurkmenistan- Iran- Oman International Transport Corridor is conducive to the building of the shortest and safest transportation route among China, Central Asia and the Middle East. Thus, we hope to resolve the related problems over the construction of the China-KyrgyzstanUzbekistan Railway as soon as possible.

We also believe the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative will create opportunities for the implementation of effective domestic transportation and cross-border transportation corridor projects to increase freight volume, expand railway and highway networks, and upgrade aviation and telecommunication cooperation. This will create a good foundation for our region to build a global transnational transportation and logistics center.

During our president’s official visit to China last May, the two governments signed a motor carrier transportation agreement. It is not only a concrete step in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also provides a good opportunity to achieve the shortest highway transport route between the two countries. In the meantime, it also helps maximize the transport and trade potential within the SCO.

We firmly believe the outcome of the upcoming SCO Qingdao Summit, the first since its expansion, will be of great significance for further strengthening mutually beneficial multilateral cooperation.

I want to take the opportunity to wish the Qingdao Summit great success.