CPAFFC President Lin Songtian meets Uzbekistan ambassador

Cai Yunzhe

O n June 14， Lin Songtian， president of the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， met with Farhod Arziev， Uzbekistans new ambassador to China. The two sides had candid and in-depth exchanges on the development of China-Uzbekistan relations and peopleto-people friendship and cooperation. Hao Zhongwei， deputy directorgeneral of the CPAFFCs department of European and Asian affairs， attended the meeting.

Lin noted that Uzbekistan is a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner of China. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Uzbekistan diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

“Under the strategic guidance of our two presidents， political mutual trust has been deepened， and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results， bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples，” Lin said.

In January， the heads of the two countries jointly attended a video sum- mit marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the five countries of Central Asia. In February， President Xi Jinping met with President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev， who was in China for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. They exchanged in-depth views on promoting bilateral relations， reached broad consensus and drew up a blueprint for bilateral development.

The CPAFFC is ready to work with the Uzbekistan embassy in China， Lin said， to actively promote implementation of the important consensus reached by the two presidents on friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two peoples and to further consolidate public support for friendship between the two countries.

Based on his experience， Lin said that China had made great achievements in upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics and committed itself to reform， opening-up and high-quality development. China has realized the “two miracles” of rapid economic development and long-term social stability.

Meanwhile， he spoke highly of the Uzbek peoples adherence to a development path suited to their national conditions. “It gives the country a new look and presents a bright vision for national development，” Lin said.

He noted that China and Uzbekistan share a long history of exchanges， profound cultural heritage and common goals. Praising the two peoples as“hard-working， brave and honest”， he said both keep their promises and have similar cultural values and philosophies.

“Leaders of the two countries adhere to the people-centered governance philosophy and share a broad common language and interests，” he said.“It is a unique advantage of people-topeople diplomacy for mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples.”

Lin pledged that the CPAFFC will work with the Uzbekistan embassy and relevant parties of the two countries to promote friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of friendship cities， youth， culture， edu-cation， think tanks， media and capacity building.

Arziev thanked Lin for his introduction and said Uzbekistan regards China as a sincere， reliable and friendly neighbor， a good example of mutual learning and a close brother. His country cherishes the comprehensive strategic partnership， appreciates Chinas long-term support and assistance to Uzbekistans economic and social development and looks forward to all-around exchanges and cooperation with China， he said.

“Uzbekistan has formulated The New Uzbekistan Development Strategy for 2022-26， and identified its national development vision， goals and implementation measures. We look forward to learning from Chinas advanced experience in poverty eradication， green development and the construction of special economic zones and free trade zones，” he said.

Arziev expressed the embassys willingness to work with the Chinese side to implement the initiative by the heads of China and the five Central Asian countries and jointly hold the Year of Folk Culture and Art in 2023 to promote people-to-people exchanges and enhance mutual understanding， friendship and trust between the peoples.

Arziev warmly invited Lin to visit Uzbekistan at an early date. Lin thanked him for the invitation and said the CPAFFC will actively promote the co-hosting of the Year of Folk Culture and Art set for next year.

The two sides also exchanged indepth views on domestic and international issues of common concern.