TASHKENT, Oct. 31 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called for commitment to openness in promoting cooperation with Uzbekistan as well as other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Li made the remarks ahead of his first official visit to Uzbekistan as Chinese premier starting Friday in a signed article published on local newspapers.

Calling Uzbekistan a friendly neighbor and cooperation partner of China, the Chinese premier said it was the shared commitment to openness that contributed to glorious chapters in the two countries' history.

"Today, openness has again become a key word for the development and revitalization of both countries," Li said in the article entitled "Promoting Openness and Cooperation for Common Development."

"China sees itself as Uzbekistan's partner for open cooperation," said Li. "With a shared commitment to openness, we will support and facilitate each other's development as we open up further, and leverage our comparative strengths to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and create and share development opportunities together."

"China stands ready to form stronger synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Uzbekistan's development strategy, and develop a better-structured architecture for even more productive cooperation," he added.

While in Uzbekistan, Li will also attend the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Member States of the SCO.

The Chinese premier said: "I look forward to working with other leaders of SCO member states to reaffirm the Shanghai Spirit, expand mutual openness, raise the level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, advance regional economic integration, and build an open and inclusive platform for mutually beneficial cooperation."

Noting that the world is faced with complex changes, rising protectionism and unilateralism, and mounting downward pressure on the global economy and trade, Li said openness today requires the courage to rise above barriers such as various restrictions and prejudices.

He said that it is China's hope to work with all SCO member states to firmly uphold the UN-centered international system and the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, give strong support to multilateralism and free trade, and promote open cooperation between the SCO and the rest of the world.

"We stand ready to work with Uzbekistan, other SCO member states and the rest of the world to pursue greater openness and better achieve common development," he added.