On May 27-29 this year on the invitation of the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov paid an official visit to Brazil.

On May 27 the official ceremony of welcoming the top-level guest took place with the guard of honor to have lined up in honor of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The state anthems of Uzbekistan and Brazil sounded in the accompaniment of 21 volleys that have been fired in honor of the Uzbek Leader.

On May 28 the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Brazil held talks. At them the two leaders have exchanged views on the Uzbek-Brazilian relations, problems of regional and international nature of mutual interest.

Islam Karimov and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva comprehensively discussed the issues of development of the Uzbek-Brazilian relations. The presidents exchanged views on the problems of consolidating security in Central Asia, the situation in Afghanistan, as well as processes now undergoing in Latin America. The presidents have also discussed the global financial-economic crisis, the opportunities of decreasing its impacts and mitigating its consequences.

During the talks the sides noted the similarity of positions on the most important international issues and problems of security. Both Uzbekistan and Brazil stand for reforming the United Nations, increasing its role and significance in addressing the international problems. The two states also support the principle of ‘multi-polarity of the world’. Uzbekistan is an initiator of establishment of the Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Central Asia. Brazil has joined Latin America’s nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The two leaders are unanimous in the issues of preventing such threats as terrorism, extremism, drug business, organized transnational crime, and stand for a close international cooperation in combating them.

Presidents of Uzbekistan and Brazil paid a profound attention to the issues of enhancing the bilateral trade and economic cooperation. They have said that the two states enjoyed considerable opportunities to extend cooperation in aircraft building, machinery, petrochemical production, textile branch, and leather industry. Apart from that, the two states have good opportunities of cooperating in such spheres as processing of agricultural products, tourism, transport, geological exploration, and manufacturing of construction materials.

The sides underscored that Uzbekistan may turn for Brazil into a connecting link not only with the states of Central Asia, but also with many countries of the CIS. In this, the sides paid a special attention to the establishment of the transcontinental inter-modal logistics center in the city of Navoi.

On the outcomes of talks in the city of Brasilia the sides adopted the Joint Declaration between the Republic of Uzbekistan and Federative Republic of Brazil. Also, on the outcomes of negotiations the two governments signed the agreements on technical cooperation, economic and trade cooperation, cultural cooperation, relieving the diplomatic passport-holders to seek visas, cooperation in the area of agriculture and memorandum of cooperation in the area of tourism. The sides also signed a number of bilateral documents on cooperation between the ministries and agencies of the two countries.

On May 29 – the third day of his stay in Brazil – President Islam Karimov arrived in Rio de Janeiro and met with the Mayor of the city Eduardo Paes.

During the talks the sides have exchanged views on extending cooperation between Uzbekistan and Brazil in the sphere of city building, protecting and bettering the historical monuments, attracting tourists, improving the city infrastructure, as well as establishing the direct contacts and exchanging experience between the cities.

On the outcomes of the meeting the sides have signed the agreement of cooperation between the cities of Tashkent and Rio de Janeiro. While seeing around the places of worth in the city, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov visited the Maracana Stadium, considered to be the largest one in the world.

The official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to the Federative Republic of Brazil will take the cooperation between the two countries in political, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres up to a qualitatively new level.

On the way to the Federative Republic of Brazil the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov made a stop in the capital city of Kingdom of Spain – Madrid, where he had met with the King Juan Carlos. During the talks the sides have exchanged views on bilateral relations and international problems of mutual interest.

Islam Karimov and Juan Carlos highly assessed the current state of bilateral relations. At the same time, they have said that the indicators of economic cooperation did not meet the opportunities available to both countries. The two states have reached an agreement to enhance the ties in this direction, as well as consolidate the legal basis of the mutually beneficial partnership.



City of Tashkent, June 1, 2009

Press-Service of MFA Republic of Uzbekistan