The French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Jean-Marc Ayrault, during his official visit to Uzbekistan gave an interview to the Jahon Information Agency.

-I am very happy to be in Uzbekistan for the first time. I have learned a lot about your country, which has a rich history and culture.

Recently in Paris, on the occasion of the diplomatic relations 25th anniversary between France and the Central Asia countries, I met with the Foreign Ministers of the five Central Asia countries, and also held talks with the Minister Kamilov.

France is committed to the policy of respect of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uzbekistan. Fruitful cooperation has long been established between our countries, and we want to strengthen it.

I believe that your country is currently heading in the right direction. We are ready to assist Uzbekistan in its reforms carried out in such areas as governance, judicial and legal field, economy, social support, security and others.

Today the French Development Agency and the French Alliance are present in your country. This opens great new prospects for the implementation of joint projects in the energy and agricultural sectors, cultural-humanitarian area, and can also facilitate Uzbekistan's access to the financial instruments of the European Union. We are pleased that there is a growing interest in learning of the French language, with over 300 thousand people in the country who are studying the French. In addition, Uzbekistan is the only country in Central Asia where a French school is operating. All this serves as a good basis for building our relations, and following the high-level meetings in Tashkent during the current visit, we noted with satisfaction the successes in these areas.

Another urgent topic of the talks was security issues and the fight against terrorism and extremism. In this area, France is ready for cooperation with Uzbekistan. At present, there are many radical groups over the world that pose a big threat, and which train extremists for committing terrorist attacks, including in European countries. Therefore, a consolidated approach to countering these challenges is vital. We see how much effort is being made in Uzbekistan to ensure peace and stability in the region, and we understand the importance to strengthen and activate cooperation in this area.

I would also like to add that the program of the visit includes a visit to the historical complex of Hazrati Imam in Tashkent, which, I think, symbolizes an open and tolerant Islam - something that we try to preserve and support together.