Proposed by Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry, a telephone conversation was recently held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Beibut Atamkulov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov.

The two foreign ministers discussed a wide range of issues relating to bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as preparations for the second Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States.

The Uzbek side expressed its gratitude to Kazakhstan for its assistance in holding the 'Year of Uzbekistan' in Kazakhstan, which made a significant contribution to the further strengthening of the spiritual community and friendship between the two countries. At the same time, Mr. Kamilov pledged his ministry's willingness to provide any necessary support to Uzbekistan's upcoming activities for the 'Year of Kazakhstan' in Uzbekistan in 2019.

The Uzbek Foreign Minister congratulated Mr. Atamkulov on his new position, and invited him to pay an official visit to Tashkent when convenient.

The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan also had a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Muhriddin.

The two sides discussed the state and prospects of Kazakh-Tajik relations, as well as the upcoming fifth CICA Summit in Tajikistan.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan congratulated Mr. Atamkulov on his appointment to the post of Foreign Minister, and wished him success in this senior position.

"The Qazaq Times"