The second International Belt and Road Forum continued on April 27 with a round table of the heads of delegations at the International Conference Center in Beijing. The event was addressed by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“The issues of international and regional interconnectedness have always been and remain relevant for Central Asia, including our country, which does not have direct access to seaports. Uzbekistan, from the start, supported the initiative “One Belt, One Road”, the implementation of which is an important factor in the sustainable development of our countries,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The head of our state welcomed the adoption of the Joint Communique and expressed confidence that the promotion of regional cooperation will actively contribute to the achievement of common goals and will open up new sources of economic growth.

The President put forward a number of initiatives to improve the transport and logistics potential of Central Asia, achieve food security through a green economy, develop tourism, jointly address environmental issues and other relevant problems.

The need to realize the transit potential of Central Asia and the formation of an economic corridor China - Central Asia - Western Asia was noted. Great prospects here open up with the launch of the road-corridor Tashkent - Andijan - Osh - Irkeshtam - Kashgar. The Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China and Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway projects are of strategic importance. It also seems economically feasible to establish a through tariff for rail transportation along the route – Yellow Sea - Central Asia – Europe ports.

The President drew attention to the development of a “green economy”, the introduction of the most modern technologies and advanced solutions aimed at achieving food security in agriculture.

Noting that overcoming the adverse environmental consequences of the desiccation of the Aral Sea is a common task, Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited partners to participate in the activities of the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region under the auspices of the UN, as well as in creating a zone of environmental innovation and technology in the Aral Sea.

Practical proposals for the development of tourist exchange, promotion of joint programs and products under the brand “Silk Road” were made.

The head of state also touched upon the Afghan problem, noted that the establishment of peace in Afghanistan will contribute not only to its economic recovery, but also create new sources of growth in the region of Central and South Asia. Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that these and other relevant issues will be discussed at the next Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) this fall in Tashkent.

“Our historical and cultural heritage, the similarity of our goals and objectives, as well as the unity of our aspirations, allow us to look to the future with optimism. Ultimately, our people should really feel the positive results of our joint efforts,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted.