Mirziyoyev and Tokayev launch new era of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan with inauguration of key projects 

At the conclusion of bilateral negotiations, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev solemnly inaugurated branches of the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers in Almaty and the South Kazakhstan State University named after M. Auezov in Chirchik.

"The mutual opening of branches of Uzbek and Kazakh higher education institutions is yet another indication of the rapidly developing multifaceted relations between the two brotherly countries. These educational institutions will train highly qualified personnel in technical fields that are in high demand," the presidential press service reported.

The leaders of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan also participated in the ceremony marking the arrival of the first freight train on the "Xi'an - Khorgos - Almaty - Saryagach - Tashkent" route.

The freight train departed from the Kazakhstan-China terminal in the city of Xi'an and headed to the "Khorgos" dry port. There, the containers were reloaded and sent along the Kazakhstan railways through the "Saryagach" station to their final destination—the "Tashkent" station.

This route will reduce transportation time and strongly boost trade volumes.

At the end of the first session of the Supreme Interstate Council, a ceremony for signing bilateral documents was held.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan signed a Joint Declaration as well as decisions on approving the Strategic Partnership and Alliance Program of the Supreme Interstate Council for 2024-2034 and establishing the Council of Foreign Ministers.

During the visit, a set of documents covering a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues was adopted. These include:

•  An intergovernmental agreement on the regime of the state border;
•  Protocols on amendments to intergovernmental agreements on checkpoints and international road traffic across the state border;
•  A plan of intergovernmental cultural and humanitarian cooperation events for 2024-2025;
•  An agreement on cooperation in the field of agriculture;
•  An agreement on cooperation in the field of healthcare;
•  A protocol on cooperation between the Ministries of Economy;
•  Protocols on cooperation in the field of natural monopolies regulation and competition policy;
•  A memorandum on the establishment of the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan Expert Council;
•  An agreement on mutual understanding between the Committee on Interethnic Relations and Friendship Relations of Uzbekistan and the Otandastar Foundation of Kazakhstan;
•  A practical action plan to expand cooperation in trade-economic, investment, and cultural-humanitarian fields between the Tashkent City Administration and the Astana City Administration for 2024-2026.