On July 28 this year, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade S. Umurzakov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey M. Cavusoglu under the visit of the Delegation of the the Republic of Uzbekistan to Ankara.

The parties negotiated on the measures taken by the governments of both states to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection and mitigate the negative impact of restrictive measures on the sustainable development of various economic sectors, as well as prospects to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The Uzbek side noted the high efficiency of Turkey's strategy to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Turkish side also was thanked for the repeated support in countering the pandemic, in particular, for sending 30 thousand protective suits and 50 artificial pulmonary ventilation devices as assisted by the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination, as well as 250 thousand masks and 5 thousand disinfectants provided by the Mayor's Office of Ankara to Tashkent Khokimiyat.

The meeting emphasized the high level of bilateral partnership in the political, diplomatic, interparliamentary, trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian and security areas, as well as the the high rate of increasing the scale of cooperation in all areas joining interests of both countries.

Here, the parties noted the significance of the first meeting of the Strategic Cooperation Council 'Uzbekistan-Turkey' held at the highest level on February 19-20 this year, which marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of intercountry cooperation. Further promotion of common interests and initiatives provided consideration of possible holding of the 2nd meeting of the Strategic Planning Group and the next round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries in the near future.

Moreover, the Uzbek side highly appreciated the technical assistance provided to Uzbekistan by the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination over the past three years, when implementing 147 projects.

The particular attention was paid to the cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian areas. The parties discussed the plans to have the Days of Uzbek Culture in Ankara and Istanbul in order to familiarize the general public of Turkey with the rich historical and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan.

When considering the interregional partnership, the parties highly appreciated the signing of the Memorandum on the Friendly Relations and Cooperation between Fergana region of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Bursa region of the Turkish Republic online on July 14, and noted the significant potential for the implementation of practical initiatives.

The negotiations resulted in gratitude expressed to the Turkish side for the high level of hospitality extended to the Uzbek Delegation during the visit. The parties agreed on intensification of cooperation within the areas specified during the meeting.