On the eve of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting in Almaty, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, and his Kazakh counterpart, Alikhan Smailov, engaged in pivotal talks, affirming their readiness to reinforce collaboration over the shared management and utilization of transboundary water resources.
The discussion, which underscored the expansion of interstate water relations, came at a critical moment for regional integration. The leaders signaled a united front on strengthening the cooperative handling of transboundary water basins, a resource pivotal to both nations' prosperity and ecological sustainability.
Beyond the aquatic sphere, the dialogue spanned a spectrum of bilateral cooperation, with an emphasis on bolstering trade-economic ties, agricultural partnerships, transit-transport logistics, and energy sector synergies. Particularly, progress on the 'Roadmap' aimed at increasing the volume of mutual trade and the outcomes of cooperative industrial projects were reviewed.
Prime Minister Smailov highlighted Uzbekistan's status as one of Kazakhstan's largest trading partners. He noted that the trade turnover reached the targeted $5 billion in 2022, with an encouraging $4.1 billion already achieved in the initial 11 months.
In alternation, Prime Minister Aripov lauded the dynamic development of the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, emphasizing that it continues to thrive on the tenets of friendship, good neighborliness, and reciprocal respect.
The affirmation of both states to further fortify water cooperation bespeaks of a broader commitment to regional stability and resource security. This enhanced collaboration holds the promise of a future where shared waterways are a source of unity and mutual benefit, rather than contention.
