Minister Han Changfu met Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Mirzayev Zoyir Toirovich on the sidelines of the 20th China Agro Processing Industry Investment and Trade Fair in Zhumadian, Henan Province on 12 Sept. 2017. The two sides exchanged views on furthering bilateral agricultural cooperation.　

Minister Han extended a warm welcome to Mirzayev Zoyir Toirovich for his visit to China and participation in the Trade Fair. Minister Han noted that since his visit to Uzbekistan in July this year, the two sides have jointly implemented the consensus on agricultural cooperation and achieved remarkable results. Within two months, China has dispatched cotton, rice and freshwater aquaculture experts in three groups to Uzbekistan, and significant progress has been scored in the development of agricultural industrial park. China stands ready to work with the Uzbek side to increase agricultural exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative, and intensify cooperation in joint cotton laboratories, agricultural industrial park, rice cultivation, freshwater aquaculture and water-saving irrigation.

Mirzayev Zoyir Toirovich thanked China for invitation. He spoke highly of the achievements in bilateral agricultural cooperation, fully agreed with Minister Han’s proposal and expressed the willingness to work with China to move bilateral agricultural cooperation to a new high. The two ministers were joined by Vice Minister Qu Dongyu at the meeting. 

After attending the opening ceremony of the Fair, the two ministers visited Wang Shouyi Shi San Xiang Multi-flavoured Spice Group Co., Ltd and Jinmailang Foods Co., Ltd in Suiping County, Zhumadian.