MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. The strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan is multidimensional, profound and intensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the 2nd Forum of Russia-Uzbekistan Interregional Cooperation posted on the Kremlin’s website on Wednesday.

"I believe that this bilateral format is of paramount importance and is extremely necessary not only for developing ties between the subjects of the Russian Federation and the regions of Uzbekistan, but also for enhancing our entire strategic partnership, which is notable for being profound and intense, and has a truly multidimensional nature," he said.

Putin pointed out that Russia is one of Uzbekistan’s main trade partners, its second-largest in foreign trade.

"Even amid the pandemic, our economic collaboration has been moving forward," he said, explaining that in 2020, bilateral trade surged by almost 16%, "closely approaching the six-billion-dollar mark," while in January-September 2021, the increase was over 6%.

The Russian president thinks that interregional cooperation should be credited with achieving it. He named Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the regions of Tatarstan, Chelyabinsk, Moscow, Ivanovo and Samara among the Russian regions that maintain intensive economic ties with their Uzbek counterparts.

"Among the examples of mutually beneficial cooperation in recent years are the construction of the Tashkent metallurgical plant and the Kandym gas processing complex, the opening of an enterprise producing combine harvesters in Uzbekistan with the participation of Rostselmash (Russia’s largest agricultural machinery manufacturer - TASS)," the Russian president said.

Investments

Putin emphasized that Russia is one of the main investors in Uzbekistan’s economy. Currently, more than 150 joint projects worth over $14 billion, according to estimates, are being implemented. The number of joint ventures, set up with the help of Russian capital, has increased by 2.5 times in the past four years to exceed 2,000, the Russian president stated.

In particular, he noted that 21 agreements worth about $130 million were inked at the April exhibition ‘Innoprom. Big Industrial Week Uzbekistan,’ which brought together delegations from 13 Russian regions.

"We certainly welcome our Uzbek friends’ reciprocal interest in intensifying ties with Russian partners. The fact that Uzbek delegations visited 20 Russian regions in a span of the past two months proves it," the Russian leader stressed.

Putin pointed out that the potential for this cooperation has not run out.

"We have huge opportunities to implement new projects of direct cooperation, establish production chains in the industry, agriculture, the pharmaceutical industry, and innovative technologies," the Russian president concluded.