Uzbekistan will buy industrial equipment for its hydropower plants from Russia for 100 million euros. They will also buy cars for the Tashkent subway. And Russian companies will modernize three airports in Uzbekistan. This is only a part of the agreements made as a result of the visit by Dmitry Medvedev to the Republic.
Alexey Konopko has the details.
At the market in Urgench, like at a classic bazaar, it seems that you can buy anything here. And every other seller is ready to advertise his goods in Russian.
“Please, try it!”
If a market is close to the center, it's a sure sign that the settlement is ancient — from the times where everything began with a fortress or a bazaar. By the standards of Central Asia, Urgench is a relatively new city. It was founded in the 17th century. But it's a direct successor of old Urgench. And the latter was one of the capitals of ancient Khwarazm, which we can call one of the Silk Road hubs.
Right after being received by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, Dmitry Medvedev came here to discuss trade and cooperation. There are 400 joint projects more. The turnover is 20% higher. In absolute numbers, it's almost $4.5 billion. And it happened in one year.
Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of Russia: "There's an ambitious task to make that turnover reach $10 billion. I'm sure that we can do it very soon".
Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan: "With joint efforts, we'll be able to create an efficient mechanism of interaction and take our relations to a qualitatively new level".
There are lots of topics for discussion — from a branch of MGIMO, which is to be opened in Uzbekistan in September, to supplies of agricultural goods.
Maxim Oreshkin, Minister for Economic Development: "Russian consumers like those goods, so the creation of those mechanisms of delivery will reduce costs and lead to lower prices in the Russian market".
The energy industry is a separate cluster. Russia will build a nuclear power plant here.
Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom CEO: "We chose a site with a beautiful name: Aydarkul. And by 2020-2021, we plan to erect the first concrete structures".
Meanwhile, hydropower plants of the country will receive 100 million euros of investments from VEB.
Dmitry Medvedev: "We decided to finance supplies of Russian power equipment within the framework of the construction of the Nizhechetkalskaya hydropower plant. Through VEB, we'll also finance a number of other projects, including supplies of subway cars for Tashkent".
The meeting of the delegations lasted for over 1.5 hours. Then, Medvedev and Aripov had to greet their colleagues for a long time. In the presence of the prime ministers, 16 new joint agreements were signed here.
They also agreed on a new cultural center of Uzbekistan, which will be opened at VDNKh.
They showed one of the most famous monuments in Khwarazm, its last capital and the home of Al-Khwarizmi, Khiva, to Dmitry Medvedev today.
Alexey Konopko, Maria Rodimova, Nikolay Zakharov, Sergey Dovgal, Andrey Baraukhin for Vesti from Uzbekistan.
