The President of the RT met with the delegation of Uzbekistan in the Kremlin

(KZN.RU, February 21). Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the RT, met with Achilbay Ramatov, the first deputy prime minister and the minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, today. The meeting took place in the Kazan Kremlin. Rustam Nigmatullin, the first deputy prime minister of the RT, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, Albert Karimov, the deputy prime minister of the RT and the minister of Industry and Trade of the RT, Irek Faizullin, the minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing and Communal Services of the RT, and others attended the meeting.

The representative delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, headed by Achilbai Ramatov, the first deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan, is in Kazan with a two-day visit (February 20-21).

The guests have already got acquainted with the innovative city of Innopolis, visited the technopolis “Khimgrad”, and also visited the CC “Moskovsky”. In addition, the Uzbek colleagues were shown the option of a comfortable building using the example of the housing complex “Art City”. They were introduced to the developments of the Eidos-Medicine and Eidos-Robotics centers.

During the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the RT, thanked for the interest shown to Tatarstan as one of the regions of Russia. He expressed his gratitude to Shavkat Mirzieev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, for the attention and support of the development of cooperation aimed at strengthening relations between Russia and Uzbekistan.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted that recently interaction with Uzbek partners has been going fast. He reminded that in September 2017, he visited the Republic of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Samarkand) and met with the President and the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. At the same time, a business forum took place and few agreements were signed. According to Rustam Minnikhanov, that trip gave an important impetus for cooperation.

In addition, in October 2018, Rustam Minnikhanov took part in the first Uzbek-Russian interregional forum in Tashkent chaired by the heads of state.

Delegations from the Republic of Uzbekistan visited Tatarstan and Kazan more than once. In May 2017, Abdulla Aripov in Kazan took part in a meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the CIS and the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

Tatarstan has especially close bonds with the Tashkent region. In 2018, an agreement on cooperation and an action plan for its implementation was signed between Tatarstan and the Tashkent region.

During the meeting, it was noted that due to the active work in 2017, the volume of goods turnover of Tatarstan with Uzbekistan increased by 80% and amounted to about $100 million. In 2018, trade increased by another 57% to $ 146 million.

“This is a good growth rate”, said Rustam Minnikhanov. “But we must not stop here. What is important is the mutual exchange of delegations, exploring the capabilities of each other. We must work to increase the volume and range of mutual deliveries of goods and services”.

The agreement on cooperation between Tatarstan and Uzbekistan was signed in 1993, and today work is underway to prepare a new document.

Among the important joint projects, Rustam Minnikhanov noted the cooperation through the PAO “Tatneft” (supply of tire products, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and motor oils), the creation of a car launch site and a service center of the PAO “KAMAZ” in the Tashkent region, reports the press service of the President of the RT.

Tatarstan is also interested in expanding cooperation in the field of mechanical engineering, the supply of helicopters, petrochemical products and agricultural equipment to Uzbekistan.

Today, inter-university cooperation is being carried out between Tatarstan and Uzbekistan. A representative Office of the KFU is open at the Uzbekistan University of Mirzo Ulugbek. At the same time, more than 3 thousand Uzbek students study at universities in Tatarstan. Rustam Minnikhanov noted that the republic would be glad to increase the number of students from Uzbekistan.

“We have good prospects for further expansion of cooperation”, said Rustam Minnikhanov, referring to Achilbai Ramatov, the first deputy prime minister and the minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov also thanked for the decision to open the consulate general of Uzbekistan in Tatarstan.

Achilbai Ramatov, the first deputy prime minister and the minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, expressed his gratitude for the busy program prepared for the delegation of Uzbekistan in Kazan. Speaking about further interaction, he marked: “Our relationship lasts for centuries”. According to Achilbai Ramatov, Uzbekistan is “open to all” today. The country is building projects fast, investors are coming, and new sites are being created.

Achilbai Ramatov, the first deputy prime minister and the minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, expressed his gratitude for the busy program prepared for the delegation of Uzbekistan in Kazan. Speaking about further interaction, he marked: “Our relationship lasts for centuries”. According to Achilbai Ramatov, Uzbekistan is “open to all” today. The country is building projects fast, investors are coming, and new sites are being created.

Achilbai Ramatov said that he was in Kazan on the instructions of the President of Uzbekistan. He also noted that he had previously visited Tatarstan 20 years ago in 1998. “We can see significant changes”, he said. “You have good personnel, specialists, we are ready to cooperate in many spheres”.

Achilbai Ramatov said that today the trade turnover of Uzbekistan and Russia is about $6 billion. According to him, there are opportunities for the growth of commodity circulation of Uzbekistan with the regions of Russia, in particular, with Tatarstan.

The first deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan announced that there are four flights between Tashkent and Kazan each week, and if necessary, the number of flights can be increased. “If necessary, we will increase the number of flights, as there are passengers in this direction”, he said.

Achilbai Ramatov noted that the tourist flow to Uzbekistan is also increasing. “We have opened borders”, he said. “We are open to all and ready to cooperate”.