Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 17 March 2023, Samarkand hosted a meeting of the Board of the Framework Agreement on Trade and Investment between the Governments of the United States and Central Asia (TIFA), organized with the assistance of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Program Department Commercial Law Development (CLDP). 

The event was attended by delegations of relevant ministries and departments of Uzbekistan, the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan.

Speaking with a welcoming speech, the Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov noted the irreversibility and effectiveness of the reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan to improve the investment climate, integrate into the world economy, protect the rights of investors and private property, fight corruption, and develop a free civil society.

The great opportunities for interaction between the countries of Central Asia in trade, economic, investment, transport and other spheres were emphasized.

In this context, it is proposed to take a number of measures to use untapped resources and opportunities for joint implementation, including the unification of the legislation on e-commerce of the Central Asian countries and the creation of a single independent arbitration system, the creation of a regional platform for suppliers of goods and services with a single payment system, the creation of a date - centers and bases of exporters and importers for forecasting and risk management, ensuring sanitary and epidemiological well-being.

Initiatives were announced to introduce electronic systems for certification of agricultural products, customs measures and procedures based on the recommendations of the CLDP, harmonization of phytosanitary requirements, exchange of best practices, economic empowerment of women in the region.

In turn, US Deputy Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch highly appreciated the dynamics and content of reforms in Uzbekistan, the significant improvement in trade and economic interaction between the Central Asian countries on the principles of complementarity, and stressed the US commitment to further strengthening economic partnership and providing trade, investment and advisory assistance to the countries of the region.

The meeting included speeches by the heads of delegations, discussions on the recommendations of the working groups on digital trade, on sanitary / phytosanitary measures, on intellectual property rights, on customs issues, on women's economic empowerment, as well as a number of bilateral meetings.

Following the meeting, a joint statement was adopted, which reflected the common vision of the participants to further strengthen trade, economic and investment cooperation and measures for the practical implementation of the discussed projects and initiatives.