Uzbek-UAE Ties on an Upswing
By IAR DeskUzbekistan’s international prestige is growing, its relations with other countries are strengthening thanks to an effective foreign policy. This was amply demonstrated during the recently concluded official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the United Arab Emirates.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, with centuries-old historical, cultural, and economic ties, have been developing ties in the years of Uzbekistan’s independence from the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1992. In recent years, bilateral relations between the two countries have risen to a qualitatively new level. The official visit of the President of Uzbekistan to the United Arab Emirates has opened a new page in bilateral relations.
During the visit, on March 25, the Head of the state visited the mausoleum and mosque of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the city of Abu Dhabi, laid a wreath at the Wahat Al Karama war memorial. At the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an agreement was reached on the issues of practical interaction in the field of public security, the exchange of delegations and experience in this area.
At the Qasr Al Watan Palace, negotiations in an extended and narrow format with participation of official delegations of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates were held. The parties signed documents on cooperation in the areas of investment, finance, alternative energy, industrial and infrastructural development, agriculture, customs administration, culture and other fields worth more than 10 billion dollars.
On March 26 President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks in Dubai with the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The latest achievements in the scientific and technological progress of humankind in diverse fields are embodied in this largest city of the Emirates. For example, often called the eighth wonder of the world, the artificial Palm Islands are the biggest man-made archipelago in the world, impressing with their scale and dazzling beauty. There are the highest and most luxurious hotels. And the world’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa, beat the Guinness World Records on as many as 11 indicators.
On the other hand, Uzbekistan has been opening up to the world. It pursues a policy of accelerated dynamic development, and world experience is vital in this, as is vigorous interaction with foreign partners in the innovation, trade, economic, investment and other fields.
The enhancement of multi-dimensional bilateral cooperation became the focal point of the meeting of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which took place in the Zaabeel Palace. The Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai underscored interest in consolidating the manifold ties with Uzbekistan that has entered a new stage of its development. Expressing his gratitude Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbekistan was willing to build up friendship with the United Arab Emirates and Dubai in particular.
Today, 107 enterprises operate in Uzbekistan with participation of investments from the Emirates, while 28 firms and companies from the UAE have representative offices in Uzbekistan. They specialize mainly in the production of textiles, building materials, canned fruit, in the printing business, wholesale trade, services. The trade turnover between the two countries currently is 400 million US dollars, but President Morziyoyev that the potential was far far higher. In this regard, the negotiations helped discuss issues related to the comprehensive expansion of bilateral cooperation, consolidation of practical cooperation in trade-economic, investment, innovation, banking-financial, cultural-humanitarian and other fields.
Earlier, on March 12, the third session of Uzbekistan – UAE Intergovernmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation had taken place in Tashkent. The Commission was tasked with raising the volume of mutual trade to 1 billion dollars in the coming years, boosting the supply of goods, implementing joint projects for processing raw materials and manufacturing value-added goods.
Both countries also have immense potential for cooperation in the tourism sector. Last year, the number of tourists from the UAE to Uzbekistan grew 1.5 times. Apart from the many tourist attractions, what also attracts visitors to Uzbekistan from the Middle East is the numerous shrines of significance to Muslim populations the world over. A recently signed decree of the President of Uzbekistan enables citizens of the United Arab Emirates to enter Uzbekistan visa-free. This would contribute not only to the development of tourism, but also to the further intensification of trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
A Joint Statement was adopted between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. The parties exchanged the signed documents on cooperation in the areas of investment, finance, alternative energy, industrial and infrastructural development, agriculture, customs administration, culture and other fields. In general, during the visit, agreements were reached at the amount of more than 10 billion dollars.
With this visit President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has opened up a new chapter in Uzbekistan’s foreign policy.
Central Asian countries should deepen ties with the zGCC as a hedge against Russian and Chinese hegemony in the region.