The Tashkent city mayor Jakhongir Artykhojaev and Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, who is on a visit to the capital, laid a stone on the site of the planned monument "Leningrad Monument" in Victory Park on November 7, the press service of the St. Petersburg administration reported.
This monument will be erected as a sign of gratitude to the Uzbek people, who hosted the evacuees of besieged Leningrad, the report says.
“In the hearts of the Leningraders-Petersburgers there is a deep gratitude to the Uzbek soldiers who defended the besieged Leningrad. We are united by the memory of the inhabitants of the country, who hosted thousands of evacuated Leningraders on their land,” said Alexander Beglov.
On behalf of St. Petersburg, he expressed his deepest gratitude to Uzbekistan, which sheltered more than 5,000 Leningrad blockade survivors during the Second World War.
A meeting of two mayors with the participation of administration officials and representatives of trade, economic, cultural and business circles of St. Petersburg was held in the Tashkent Khokimiyat, the press service of the Khokimiyat reported.
Alexander Beglov noted the readiness of St. Petersburg to become a communication center for Tashkent's partnership with the northwestern region of Russia, "which will undoubtedly serve to upgrade the volume of implementation of joint projects."
He added that the city was interested in expanding the supply of fruits and vegetables, textile products, developing medical tourism, cooperation in the fields of education, ecology, economics, social and youth policy, labor migration, and construction.
The Tashkent mayor proposed organizing a textile fair of Uzbekistan in St. Petersburg and announced his interest in expanding furniture production in Tashkent with the participation of investors from the northern capital of Russia.
“Petersburgers are well aware of and appreciate high-quality fruit and vegetable products from Uzbekistan. Our city is interested in expanding its supplies. We are considering the possibility of implementing a project to create a network of wholesale distribution centers in St. Petersburg, focused on the distribution and sale of products from the Republic of Uzbekistan,” said Alexander Beglov. The meeting participants also noted the need to strengthen ties in the field of labor migration.
The governor invited the Tashkent mayor to consider the possibility of holding the days of Tashkent in St. Petersburg in 2023.
Another promising area of cooperation could be the healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical industries. The meeting participants also discussed the prospects for the development of tourism, including medical tourism.
Jahongir Artykhodzhaev stated that he fully supports the initiatives of St. Petersburg on cooperation in healthcare, education, economy, trade, social support, labor relations and other areas.
At the end of the meeting, the parties signed an action plan for the implementation of the agreement between the administration of Tashkent and the government of St. Petersburg on cooperation in trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural fields for 2022-2026.
The plan includes items on the development of trade and economic relations and humanitarian ties and involves, among other things, deepening cooperation in the field of labor and social policy, science and education, housing and communal services, culture and sports, ecology, and youth policies.
