Lukashenko following the talks in Tashkent: everyone understood in which direction to move and how quickly

As a result of the high-level negotiations held in Tashkent, everyone understood the direction to move in and how quickly. This was stated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following the talks with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

The head of state emphasized that the narrow-format talks could be described as a meeting not just of friends, but of very close friends and brothers. "We understand each other. We understand what we have missed (in previous years. - BELTA note). We need to catch up. You know my attitude towards you, towards the Uzbek people," Alexander Lukashenko noted. "I told him (President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. - BELTA note): whatever you see in Belarus and need, we are ready to come to your aid with high technologies and do what you ask. We are ready for this."

The President invited his counterpart to visit Belarus this year and expressed confidence that following the detailed and principled negotiations held in Tashkent, the parties will be able to significantly advance bilateral cooperation within the year.

"I think we will achieve much more in a year. Today, everyone understood the direction to move in and how quickly we need to move and resolve issues. We will support the Uzbek people and Uzbekistan as much as we can. Only so that you achieve the goals you have set for yourselves," said the head of the Belarusian state.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus, in cooperation with other countries, offers a broad agenda, particularly concerning technology exchange. At the same time, opponents and ill-wishers sometimes question whether Belarus, being a small country, can offer any technologies. In this regard, the Head of State recalled that high-tech industries in Belarus were developed back in the Soviet Union era – this was due to the division of labor and production specialization within that common state.

"We have not squandered this during the 1990s and up to the present. The President (of Uzbekistan. – Editorial note by BELTA) knows this well; he knows Belarus very well," the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Alexander Lukashenko cited the example of a powerful cotton production in Belarus, which used cotton from Uzbekistan as raw material: "We received it from there, processed it, and supplied it for export, meaning we processed a huge amount of export products. And this required high technologies. Because they wouldn't buy it abroad if it was of poor quality. We were lucky in this regard."

The Head of State also recalled that Belarus suffered greatly during the Great Patriotic War, and other republics of the Union helped in the post-war recovery. The main high-tech industrial base was created through joint efforts. All of this has been preserved and is mainly in state hands. Certain high results have also been achieved in agriculture.

"I am saying this because today Belarus has everything that Uzbekistan needs technologically today and tomorrow. This is because we stand on the shoulders of giants who created what we have in Belarus today. And we are fraternal republics. The President rightly said that Belarusians and Uzbeks are very similar peoples – tolerant, flexible, they don't pry into other people's gardens, they don't take anything from anyone, they don't intend to wage war. We are hardworking peoples and are ready to seek and find our own happiness."

Source: belta.by