The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the head of the National Development and Reform Commission of China Ma Kai on 30 April in Tashkent, UzA reported.

The sides exchanged opinions on the perspectives of economic and investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and China. Ma Kai noted that China interested in further expansion of economic collaboration with Uzbekistan and thanked the President Islam Karimov for hearty welcome.

"We appreciate the friendly relations established between our countries," said Islam Karimov. "A strategic document – Interstate agreement on partnership relations of friendship and cooperation – was signed in Beijing in 2005. Interrelations between our countries are enhancing from year to year with new concrete contents".

The ties of Uzbekistan and China are developing within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as well. The leaders of the two countries have common view on joint fight against such threats, as terrorism, extremism and separatism.

The agreements on investment cooperation reached during Tashkent and Beijing summits envisage Chinese investments in Uzbekistan worth nearly US billion. In particular, the financial equivalent of the Agreement on cooperation in oil-and-gas sector makes up US0 million.