Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 21 December, the Uzbek-Kazakhstan interregional business forum was held, which was attended by heads of key ministries, departments, industry associations, chambers of commerce and industry, holding companies and more than 400 representatives of the business community of the two countries. During the event, ceremonies were held for the exchange and signing of bilateral documents, as well as meetings in the B2B and B2G formats.

During the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev and Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serik Jumangarin spoke. The heads of delegations stressed the positive dynamics of strengthening the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and noted the role of active interaction between business circles in this context.

Within the framework of the forum, the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Aziz Voitov and the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Yerbol Karashukeev signed a Cooperation Program to increase mutual trade and implement joint projects in the field of agriculture between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. 

The parties came to an agreement and signed a roadmap with specific investment projects and trade contracts in the field of agriculture, as well as a package of agreements that fixed specific plans for the development of interaction between the business circles of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for a total amount of more than US$1.3 billion.

“Traditionally, large volumes of potatoes are exported to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Now it is possible to agree in advance and determine the necessary volumes of the two countries. So that the volumes are not limited by quotas, and we always know how much the Republic of Uzbekistan produces for Kazakhstan, and Kazakhstan - for Uzbekistan. The road map between our countries is now being actively implemented, this will give an additional impetus to the development of mutual trade and cooperation between the agro-industrial complexes of our countries,” said Yerbol Karashukeev, Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan.

In the context of the further development of trade and economic cooperation based on the wide use of untapped reserves and opportunities, the importance of expanding direct interregional ties in a whole range of areas, holding reciprocal fairs of industrial and agricultural potential in the regions of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was noted.

“It is of particular importance to unite efforts to create high-tech industries based on our comparative advantages, to develop industrial cooperation for the production of products with high added value in order to further joint development of international markets,” said Jamshid Khodjaev in his welcoming speech. - We have a huge potential for a multiple increase in joint mutually beneficial projects. We already have everything we need for this - industrial, technological, human and natural resources. I am sure that with coordinated, diligent joint work, we will be able to bring the Uzbek-Kazakh partnership to a qualitatively new level,” he added.

During the forum, the heads of ministries, departments, industry associations and regional administrations, as well as representatives of the business circles of both states, made presentations in which the potential for cooperation was revealed in detail and ready-made promising projects for joint implementation were presented. Financial and technical aspects of interaction and mechanisms of state support in the implementation of joint projects were already discussed during the "B2B" and "G2B" negotiations.

At the end of the events, the heads of delegations expressed their commitment to further strengthening trade, economic and investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, establishing strong business contacts and providing comprehensive support to entrepreneurs in the implementation of joint projects and initiatives.