An official welcoming ceremony for the President of Uzbekistan took place in the Istana Palace of the President of Singapore.

A guard of honor lined up in honor of the distinguished guest on the square in front of the palace. The military band played the national anthems of the two countries.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Singapore Halimah Yacob walked around the Guard of Honor and greeted members of official delegations.

Then, a ceremony was held to name a new variety of orchids in honor of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan – a flower that is the national symbol of Singapore. Such events are traditionally held as a sign of high respect and honor to the distinguished guests of this country and outstanding figures.

By tradition, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally placed a sign with the name of a new variety of orchids – “Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Orchid” near the flower.

This is a beautiful and free flowering hybrid of Encbi Purple and Kila Blue orchids. It produces semi-double inflorescences about 45 cm long, bearing 17 to 20 flowers, each flower about 5 cm across. Lilac-purple petals and sepals have an orchid-purple border.

Then the Presidents held a bilateral meeting.

Views were exchanged on the prospects for further deepening relations between Uzbekistan and Singapore, cooperation in the reforms for further democratization of social and political life.

Active cooperation in education was noted with satisfaction. The Management Development Institute of Singapore and the TMC Academy successfully operate in Tashkent.

The experience of the two countries in regional cooperation and integration in Central and Southeast Asia was considered in detail.

A high level of mutual understanding and mutual support on international platforms in promoting the initiatives of Uzbekistan and Singapore on current issues of regional stability and sustainable dev

Following the meeting, key areas for the development of interaction were defined.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Halimah Yacob to visit Uzbekistan at any time convenient for her.

Then, at the Istana residence, the President of Uzbekistan held talks with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong.

The current state and prospects for interaction were considered in detail, and the positive dynamics of the development of cooperation in priority areas were noted.

Thus, tangible progress has been made on the trade-economic track. In recent years, the trade turnover has doubled. The number of enterprises operating in Uzbekistan with Singaporean capital has increased 4 times. Direct investments from this country into the Uzbekistan economy amounted to $700 million.

The presence of large reserves for building up practical interaction in many areas was emphasized.

Singapore is the economic center of the Asia-Pacific region. For several years now, the country has maintained the status of one of the largest and most developed economies in the world, relying on its success in such key industries as electronics, chemicals, biotechnology, banking, logistics and transport engineering.

Taking this into account, the President of Uzbekistan identified five key areas of cooperation with Singapore shortly.

The first is the development of human capital and the training of highly qualified personnel for public administration. An agreement was reached on the implementation, with the participation of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, of a joint program to train and improve the skills of civil servants in management, urban planning, infrastructure development, digital transformation, innovation, education and healthcare. An intensive retraining program for civil servants will be launched at the Public Administration Academy of Uzbekistan, with the involvement of leading Singaporean experts.

The second area is to involve the Singaporean side in the privatization process in Uzbekistan. In this context, the prospects for the implementation of new projects with the involvement of best practices, modern technologies and the management of leading Singaporean companies as part of the privatization of large enterprises in Uzbekistan were discussed. It was proposed to create a joint Investment Fund for the transformation and restructuring of state-owned enterprises to further launch IPOs and attract foreign investment.

The third priority is the attraction of advanced green technologies and digital solutions. Opportunities for introducing Singapore’s achievements in digitalization, as well as the application of innovations and technologies of this country in green development, were discussed.

The fourth is the improvement of urban infrastructure and communications. Measures for cooperation in urban planning and construction, landscaping, and public utilities have been agreed upon. The first step in this direction was an agreement on the establishment in Uzbekistan of a joint Design and Engineering Center for the implementation of infrastructure and industry projects.

Within the framework of the fifth area of cooperation, the importance of supporting investments and expanding mutual trade by promoting joint projects with leading Singaporean companies was noted.

An agreement was reached on the establishment of an Uzbekistan – Singapore investment company with an authorized capital of $500 million.

The parties exchanged views on the current issues of the international and regional agenda.

Following the meeting, which was held in an open and friendly atmosphere, Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Lee Hsien Loong to visit Uzbekistan at any time convenient for him.

Following the talks, a bilateral documents exchange ceremony took place.

In the presence of the heads of delegations, 8 documents providing for further enhancing cooperation between Uzbekistan and Singapore were exchanged.

In particular, agreements on cooperation in education, transport, healthcare, and training of personnel, including civil servants, were adopted.

Agreements were also reached on trade and economic cooperation and interaction between the prosecutor’s offices of the two countries.

In the afternoon, the President of Uzbekistan will visit the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and hold a meeting with the heads of leading Singaporean companies. Today, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will depart for Tashkent.