Uzbek president, Jordanian king vows to upgrade bilateral ties

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Samarkand on Tuesday, reaching an agreement to upgrade bilateral cooperation between their nations.

During the meeting, President Mirziyoyev said the king's visit -- the first by a Jordanian monarch in the history of their diplomatic relations -- would mark a new historical phase and pave the way for elevating the relationship to a comprehensive partnership, according to a statement from the presidential press service.

To solidify this new chapter, the leaders agreed to establish an Inter-Governmental Commission and a Business Council by the end of the year.

To directly foster economic ties, the two sides will organize an Uzbek-Jordanian business forum designed to bring together leading companies and manufacturers from both countries, according to the statement.

Beyond economic matters, the leaders also reached a consensus on the importance of jointly promoting the ideas of "tolerant and enlightened Islam."

On the practical steps to bring the nations closer, the statement noted that launching regular flights between their capitals and introducing a visa-free regime would be instrumental in enhancing business contacts and increasing mutual tourist flows.

The visit culminated with the signing of 15 bilateral documents, underscoring the broad and concrete outcomes of the discussions.