BISHKEK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev and visiting President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed on Tuesday an agreement on coordination of 85 percent of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, the press service of the Kyrgyz President reported.
"We were convinced that we can agree if we want and have a political will," Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev said after the signing of the main document.
He said that, today there was a historical event.
"The peoples of the two countries have waited for this day for 25 years. This is a great merit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev," Atambayev said.
The Kyrgyz President said that during the talks the two sides reached mutual understanding on all the issues.
The Kyrgyz leader also added that today he was once again convinced that there are no unsolvable issues.
"Today's state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan opens a new era, a new era in relations between the two fraternal countries and two independent republics," he said.
From his part, President Mirziyoyev proposed to turn the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border into the border of friendship.
"The strategy of our country, of the new leadership in our foreign policy is a rapprochement with our neighbors," he said naming Kyrgyzstan a strategic partner.
The sides also reached mutual understanding on the construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and agreed to accelerate the construction.
According to data of the Uzbek President, in the first half of 2017 the trade turnover between the two countries grew by 60 percent. Mirziyoyev said that there are plans to raise the turnover up to 500 million U.S. dollars.
During the talks, the sides also exchanged views on the whole complex of Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations and prospects for further development of bilateral cooperation.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday for a two-day state visit at the invitation of President Atambayev. On Wednesday, the Uzbek President will meet with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov and Parliament Speaker Chynybai Tursunbekov.
