AKIPRESS.COM - Russia is Uzbekistan’s biggest trade partner, said Russian President Vladimir Putin during the press statements delivered following the talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who was on official stay in Moscow on April 5.

"Our bilateral intergovernmental commission has drafted and is implementing with success a large-scale economic cooperation development programme through to 2019. Last year, our bilateral trade came to $2.7 billion, which represents more than 17 percent of Uzbekistan’s foreign trade balance. Russian investment in Uzbekistan’s economy came to more than $6 billion," Putin said.

Putin praised the high level of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.

"Russia is buying more than 5 billion cubic metres of gas from Uzbekistan. Our companies Gazprom and LUKOIL are carrying out large joint hydrocarbon projects in Uzbekistan. Our company Siloviye Mashiny is helping to modernise important electricity system infrastructure facilities in Uzbekistan – the Syr Darya Power Station and the Charvak Hydroelectric Power Station," he said.

Russian President said that he agreed  with Mirziyoyev to give additional instructions to their governments to develop industrial cooperation and expand joint production of goods with high added value.

"We support the plans by Rostec, Rostselmash, GAZ Group and their Uzbekistani partners to launch new projects in the automotive industry, machine-building, civil aviation and pharmaceuticals," he said.

"We agreed to continue efforts to encourage increased Uzbekistani exports of agricultural goods and foodstuffs to Russia. These exports more than doubled over the last year alone and come to 142,800 tonnes, so as to have an idea what this means in practical terms," he added.