The Uzbek Ambassador to Canada, stationed in Washington, Javlon Vakhabov, held a number of meetings in Ottawa with Director General of the Bureau for Eastern Europe and Eurasia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Heidi Kutz, the Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, the Middle East and Maghreb Sandra McCardell and the Executive Director Department for Afghanistan and Pakistan Christopher Gibbins, Dunyo said.
During the talks, the parties discussed topical issues of bilateral relations in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres, including in the field of labor migration, cooperation in attracting investments, partnerships in providing assistance to the Afghan people, as well as the prospects for expanding the Uzbek-Canadian partnership ties.
The Director General Heidi Kutz underscored that Canada is interested in stepping political contacts at the highest levels. She emphasized the importance of continuing the annual political consultations, as well as intensifying exchanges at various levels. She highlighted the readiness to organize a visit of the Canadian delegation to Uzbekistan to hold the next 9th round of political consultations in Tashkent in 2022.
In addition, the Canadian side reported that Uzbekistan is included in a number of priority partner states, where it is planned to open a Canadian visa center and a corresponding decision is planned to be made as the epidemiological situation in the world softens.
During the meeting with Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Sandra McCardell, an exchange of views took place on issues of bilateral and regional cooperation.
In particular, commenting on the development of Uzbekistan over the past year, Sandra McCardell reportedly commended the large-scale and very ambitious nature of the reforms and transformations initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In this context, she congratulated the Uzbek leader on a landslide victory in the elections. “I am confident that Uzbekistan will achieve even greater success in the next five years than in previous years,” added Sandra McCardell.
She emphasized the similarity of Uzbekistan’s development strategy with the development priorities of Canada. Ottawa, just like Tashkent, focuses on improving the business climate in order to attract foreign investment. Sandra McCardell also emphasized that the first investments from a Western country into Uzbekistan were made by a Canadian company (B2Gold). Therefore, the Canadian side hopes for the continuation of this positive trend and is ready to take measures to further expand trade and investment cooperation in the context of the market-oriented policy and privatization processes carried out in Uzbekistan.
During negotiations with the Executive Director of the Department for Afghanistan and Pakistan Christopher Gibbins, the parties thoroughly exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan.
Christopher Gibbins supported the initiatives of the Government of Uzbekistan to respond to the difficult humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and assured him of readiness to hold talks with the Uzbek side to discuss in detail measures to provide joint humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
