BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on Sunday exchanged congratulations on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his message, Xi said that in the past 30 years, China-Uzbekistan relations have kept pace with the times and forged ahead, setting a fine example of international relations featuring harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation.

In particular, the two sides have learned from each other in the course of reform, opening-up, development and revitalization, and have worked together and assisted each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, making them genuine comprehensive strategic partners, Xi said.

Xi stressed that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Uzbekistan relations, and stands ready to work with Mirziyoyev to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to jointly write a new chapter in the history of the development of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, so as to benefit the two countries and two peoples.

For his part, Mirziyoyev said that the past 30 years have been a glorious chapter in the age-old history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples.

Under President Xi's personal attention, Mirziyoyev said, the Uzbekistan-China comprehensive strategic partnership is thriving, adding that bilateral cooperation in various fields has seen smooth progress, people-to-people and cultural exchanges are being enhanced continuously, and the two countries have maintained close communication within the frameworks of international and regional organizations.

The Uzbek side stands ready to deepen the Belt and Road cooperation with China, and promote friendly relations and all-round cooperation between the two countries to a new historical stage, the Uzbek president added.