Wen arrives in Uzbekistan for SCO meeting

TASHKENT—Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived here on Friday afternoon at the start of a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev.
Wen will also attend the sixth Meeting of Prime Ministers of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Uzbek capital later in the day. In a written statement issued at the airport upon arrival, Wen highlighted the growth of China-Uzbekistan relations in the past 15 years, saying bilateral cooperation has brought concrete benefits to the two peoples.
Wen said he, at the prime ministers’ meeting in Tashkent, would work for further promoting the implementation of the agreement reached at the SCO’s Bishkek summit in August. “We will have an in-depth discussion and exchange of views so as to push forward the cooperation under the SCO framework to a higher level,” Wen said in the statement.
Wen will meet with Uzbek President Islam Karimov and hold talks with Mirziyaev, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry official. The two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern. Wen will also deliver an important speech at the SCO Prime Ministers Meeting, the official added.
The SCO, a regional organization founded in June 2001, comprises China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, with Pakistan, Mongolia, Iran and India holding observer status. China-Russia relations are now both at their best in history and at the most important historical stage, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in a recent interview with Russian media.
Wen had an interview with Itar-Tass News Agency and Interfax News Agency in Beijing before making an official visit to Russia next week. During the interview, Wen said China-Russia relations have seen big and substantial changes since the two countries established a strategic cooperative partnership 10 years ago. The two countries have enhanced political mutual trust, greatly expanded trade and economic cooperation and enriched the content of strategic cooperative partnership by holding such cultural events as “Year of Russia” and “Year of China”.
Wen said the next decade will be an important historical period for both the evolution of the international situation and the development of China-Russia relations. “Therefore, my coming visit to Russia has special significance,” Wen said. During the visit, Wen will exchange views with Russian leaders on bilateral relations and major international issues. The two sides will sign a series of important cooperative agreements.
“I believe the coming visit will further push forward the development of China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership,” Wen told resident Russian reporters in Beijing. Wen said the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in all fields, including trade, economy, science, technology, education and culture.—Xinhua