Greeting the guest, Uzbek President Islam Karimov saidL “We highly appreciate the attention and significance placed by the People’s Republic of China at the activity of SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization]. The international standing and such an extensive participation of Your country in the forthcoming occasion in Tashkent will help consolidate to a remarkable extent the role and influence of the Organization in the contemporary system of world politics”.

In his turn, the guest said: “We in China regard You with high respect as a great politician of modern times. People of Uzbekistan have made tremendous strides in building an independent nation precisely under Your leadership. Together with President Hu Jintao, You have raised the Uzbek-Chinese relations to a qualitatively new level”.

During the meeting at Oqsaroy, Yang Jiechi expressed his earnest gratitude to President Islam Karimov for the warm welcome, stressing in particular SCO’s stronger than ever a role in the international arena owing to the efforts of our nation’s leadership made in the course of its presidency in the Organization, UzA reported.

Prospects to further expand mutual cooperation have been discussed at the occasion, so has preparatory work for the upcoming state visit by President of PRC Hu Jintao to the Republic of Uzbekistan.