BEIJING - China and Uzbekistan agreed on Tuesday to expand mutually beneficial cooperation during a forum on bilateral economic and trade cooperation held in Beijing.

Meng Jianzhu, Chinese chairman of the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental committee of cooperation, said in his address to the forum that it is in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples and conducive to regional peace, stability and development to expand and deepen bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation.

Meng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, called on both sides to grasp the opportunity to enhance mutual trust, consolidate the basis of cooperation and realize sustainable development.

The two countries need to exploit potential and improve trade to lift the quality and level of bilateral trade, he said.

Meng encouraged the two countries to enhance communication to provide a fair, open and loose investment and management environment.

First Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Azimov said in his address that the bilateral economic and trade cooperation is in line with the common interests of the two countries and will help to deepen traditional friendship.

Azimov, who is the Uzbek chairman of the intergovernmental committee of cooperation, called on both countries to give full play of each other's advantages, adding that Uzbekistan welcomes more Chinese investment.

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