President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at the Leaders' Roundtable Summit at Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Monday, said that the One Belt, One Road Initiative should be filled with “concrete programs and regional development projects”, the President’s Office reported.
"We urge for major transport, trade, investment, energy and high tech projects to be implemented in our region, which has rich natural, industrial and human resources," the President of Uzbekistan said.
The second key issue is the development of a comprehensive cooperation program for creating transport and logistics routes linking Europe, Central Asia through China and Russia to the markets of South and South-East Asia.
"We believe that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan railway network with access to the ports of Pakistan and Iran in the Indian Ocean could be integrated into the extensive network of transport corridors of One Belt, One Road Initiative", he added.
Along with the development of transport corridors, we should also focus on implementing of joint high tech projects, he said.
"I think that our common priority should be the creation of interconnected industrial technoparks, scientific and innovation clusters and free economic zones along the Silk Road Economic Belt. To this end, we propose to jointly develop effective mechanisms to promote such projects," he said.
He said that for effective implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, according to Uzbekistan, it is necessary "to encourage in every way the direct dialogue between business communities, especially at the interregional level, with the aim of adopting specific programs and cooperation projects that fit into the Belt and Road Concept.
He said that the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative should be aimed not only at encouraging economic cooperation, but also "stepping up cultural and humanitarian ties, actively using the enormous tourism potential". "On the routes of the Great Silk Road, which we are reviving, there are cities with a thousand-year history and rich culture, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva," President of Uzbekistan said.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed confidence that the President Xi Jinping’s initiative to hold an international forum will allow to build "a permanent dialogue platform for the purpose of exchanging views and practical interaction in the framework of the One Belt, One Road Initiative."
"I am convinced that the implementation of this large-scale project, now covering more than 60% of the world population, will contribute to the formation of a common belt of peace, prosperity, progress, cooperation and friendship between our countries and peoples," Shavkat Mirziyoyev concluded.
