East China's Shandong province and Samarkand region, Uzbekistan hosted a cooperation exchange meeting on Dec 13 in Jinan, capital of Shandong with the aim of bettering serving the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting exchanges and cooperation.

Shandong provincial Party secretary Lin Wu, Uzbek Ambassador to China Farhod Arziev, and Turdimov Erkinjon Akbotaevich, governor of Samarkand region, attended the event.

Shandong province and Samarkand region, Uzbekistan host a cooperation exchange meeting on Dec 13. [Photo/Dazhong Daily]

Lin extended a warm welcome to the delegation of Uzbekistan and said that China and Uzbekistan are good friends, good partners and good brothers.

He said that Shandong and the Samarkand region had in September last year established friendly relations. In September this year, a delegation from Shandong paid a visit to Samarkand, marking a new step in bilateral exchanges and cooperation.

Lin noted that Shandong is willing to work with Samarkand to strengthen local exchanges, promote economic and trade ties, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Arziev stressed that Uzbekistan attaches great importance to developing relations with China and Shandong province. He said that Shandong is an economic powerhouse province in China and a priority for Samarkand's cooperation with China and that there is broad space for cooperation between the two sides.

He also expressed hope that the two sides will further strengthen exchanges and project match-making, deepen cooperation in trade, industry, agriculture, culture and tourism and promote mutual benefit and win-win results.

During the event, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council signed a cooperation agreement with Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Samarkand, while Liaocheng city and Pakhtachi District of Samarkand signed an agreement to establish friendly and cooperative relations.

Enterprises from Shandong and Samarkand also took part in matchmaking negotiations.