Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 27 May, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council as the head of the observer state at the organization.
The event, held in the form of a videoconference chaired by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, was also attended by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of the Republic of Cuba - observer country to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Miguel Bermudez and Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich.
The agenda of the meeting included issues of further development of mutually beneficial cooperation and deepening of integration processes in the EAEU space, including practical interaction in the fields of economy, trade, industry, transport and other areas.
At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan noted the active chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan in the EAEU, which contributes to the deepening of multifaceted cooperation within the organization.
It was emphasized that the negative consequences of the pandemic have been mitigated by joint efforts and positive dynamics are being ensured in trade and economic cooperation between our countries. Thus, the trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the EAEU countries in 2021 increased by 30 percent, and since the beginning of this year it has grown by another 33 percent. The annual growth rate of attracted investments from the EAEU countries is about 25 percent.
Noting the rapid changes taking place in the world and crisis phenomena that have become a serious challenge to the stability of our countries, the head of Uzbekistan outlined the most urgent tasks that require joint solutions.
The President of our country called for the further elimination of technical barriers and the recognition of certification in mutual trade between Uzbekistan and the EAEU countries, which will greatly simplify the access of goods to our markets.
The special relevance of expanding agro-industrial cooperation through the joint production of crops and food products was emphasized. In order to increase its effectiveness, it was proposed to develop an agricultural cooperation program that provides for the intensification of interregional contacts.
The leader of Uzbekistan drew attention to the need to further develop alternative transport corridors and strengthen transport connectivity in the southern and eastern directions. In this regard, the importance of the early start of the practical implementation of the project for the construction of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway, which will create additional opportunities for entering the markets of the Asia-Pacific region, was noted.
Readiness was expressed for cooperation in the implementation of the project for the construction of a trans-Afghan railway line from Termez to Pakistani Peshawar, which will provide the shortest route to South Asia with a market of 2 billion consumers.
The head of our state called for a more efficient use of innovative potential and the development of new forms of industrial cooperation between entrepreneurs of our countries, primarily in the field of high technologies.
The first practical step in this direction was the holding of the International Industrial Exhibition “INNOPROM. Central Asia”, which was attended by over a thousand companies from the EAEU countries.
It was proposed to develop a joint "Roadmap" to stimulate cooperative ties and deepen localization in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, instrumentation, electronics and other areas. It is important to make wider use of the capabilities of research institutes and technology centers.
Particular attention was paid to the need to combine efforts in the field of tourism, designed to become a natural driver of economic development, as well as to fully resume passenger transport between our countries.
The head of our state proposed holding a Forum on the development of the tourism industry in Uzbekistan with the participation of leading companies from the EAEU countries.
At the end of his speech, the President reiterated the commitment of Uzbekistan to the progressive strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation and multifaceted partnership with the Eurasian Economic Union in order to ensure sustainable development and improve prosperity in our countries.
