President Hu Jintao on Monday expressed China's readiness to work with Uzbekistan to push forward their relations of friendship, cooperation and partnership.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov in Yekaterinburg, Russia, June 15, 2009. [Xinhua]

At a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov in Yekaterinburg, the Chinese president said relations between China and Uzbekistan have witnessed healthy and stable growth since the two countries established friendly and partnership relations in 2005.

The two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges, deepened their political mutual trust and expanded cooperation in such fields as trade, economy, energy, security and culture, he said.

They have supported each other on major issues of respective concerns, conducted robust cooperation in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral organizations, and contributed to promoting peace and stability in the region and the world at large, Hu said.

He said China highly values its relations with Uzbekistan and stands ready to implement the existing agreements and consensus between the two countries so as to strengthen their relations of friendship, cooperation and partnership.

Hu proposed that the two countries give full play to the intergovernmental economic and trade cooperation committee, boost cooperation in trade, economy, transport, energy, telecommunications, light industry and agriculture, and maintain the momentum for the growth of two-way trade to promote social and economic development of both countries.

Hu said the global financial crisis is still spreading, posing grave difficulties and challenges for China's economic development.

In order to tackle the crisis and maintain steady and relatively fast growth of the economy, China has timely adjusted its macroeconomic policies and adopted a package of measures to further expand domestic demand and boost economic growth, Hu said.

These measures are being implemented and have started to take effect, he said.

China is confident of overcoming the difficulties, achieving the steady and relatively rapid growth of its economy and contributing to the recovery and healthy, stable development of the global economy, Hu said.

China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Uzbekistan in the financial sector, jointly guard against global financial risks and promote the healthy and stable economic and financial development of both countries, he said.

Karimov, for his part, said Uzbekistan appreciates its relationship with China, which features friendship, mutual trust and cooperation.

Uzbekistan appreciates China's continued supply of aid over a long period of time, especially the sincere help and support provided by China at times of hardship for Uzbekistan, he said.

Amid the current global financial crisis, Uzbekistan is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in such sectors as the economy, trade, energy and natural resources to jointly tackle the financial crisis.

Uzbekistan is willing to strengthen cooperation with China within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and enhance coordination in international affairs, Karimov said.

Uzbekistan firmly supports China on the issue of Taiwan and issues related to Tibet, he said.

The Chinese president arrived in Russia's Ural mountain city of Yekaterinburg on Sunday for the annual SCO summit, which will discuss how to tackle the international financial crisis and expand cooperation in the political, economic and security fields, and in other areas, among member states.

Founded in 2001, the SCO consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran are observers of the organization.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2009)