A wide range of bilateral cooperation issues were discussed by Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on the margins of the CIS Council of Heads of Government meeting in Astana.

The meeting considered measures to expand the potential of mutual trade, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, industry, transport and transit sector, as well as issues of interaction in the field of water resources.

"We are ready to further deepen relations in all areas of mutually beneficial cooperation," the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said.

For his part, Abdulla Aripov confirmed Uzbekistan's readiness to continue active work in all priority directions.

"Kazakhstan is one of the largest trade partners of our country. Over the past five years, bilateral trade turnover has more than doubled. Now we have the task to bring the volume of mutual trade up to $10 billion. Mutually beneficial cooperation between various regions of our countries is also increasing," Abdulla Aripov said.

Following the meeting, the heads of government signed a road map for trade, economic and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which provides for the implementation of measures in the areas of tax regulation, transit of goods, education, energy, agriculture, etc. In particular, the document reflects plans to launch joint production projects in various sectors, develop logistics infrastructure, increase the supply of industrial goods and prepare a number of important interstate agreements.