State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the opening ceremony of the new Uzbekistan Embassy in Beijing, China on August 19 (WEN QING)

The 28th Independence Day of the Republic of Uzbekistan was celebrated in Beijing on August 19 with the opening of the new Uzbekistan Embassy in China.

Hailing the new embassy as a fine piece of architecture, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it was also “a symbol of friendship between the Chinese and Uzbekistan people.”

Sino-Uzbekistan ties, promoted by the two countries’ leaders, are at a new high with unprecedented pragmatic cooperation, enhanced political mutual trust and intertwined common interests, according to Wang. The bilateral trade volume was $6.2 billion in 2018, nearly 100 times compared to the trade volume in 1992, when the two countries first established diplomatic ties. Now China is the largest trading partner and second biggest investment source of Uzbekistan.

As a Belt and Road participating country, Uzbekistan has actively taking part in the initiative. “Fruitful results have been yielded in bilateral cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” Wang said.

An Uzbekistan folk dance is performed in Beijing on August 19 (WEN QING)

For example, the Anglian-Pap Railway Tunnel, constructed by Chinese companies, links the remote Ferghana region with the capital Tashkent, as well as central and western industrial areas. More and more agricultural products from Uzbekistan are now transported to China and are winning Chinese consumers’ approval. Before the tunnel, local people in the region had to take a detour train via neighboring countries to Tashkent.

Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov praised the opening of the new embassy as a highlight of bilateral relations. “Situated at the central point of the ancient Silk Road, Uzbekistan will continue to participate in the investment and connectivity programs of the Belt and Road Initiative in the most active manner,” he said.

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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