On December 21, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated as the head of observer state in a regular meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Saint Petersburg.
The meeting, chaired by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, as well as the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
The heads of EAEU observer states – President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the participants via video message. The Minister of trade of the Republic of Indonesia Budi Santoso also took part as a representative of an invited state.
The agenda included issues of further expanding multilateral trade and economic cooperation, supporting industrial cooperation projects, developing transport, and implementing joint programs in priority areas of interaction.
At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan noted that the further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation with EAEU countries is one of the priority directions of our country’s foreign economic policy.
Over the past four years of interaction as an observer state, Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with the Union countries has nearly doubled, approaching the $20 billion mark.
The Cooperation plan with the Eurasian Economic Commission until 2026 is being systematically implemented, including about 40 measures in areas such as trade, industry, the financial sector, the agro-industrial complex, transport, and others. The fifth meeting of the joint Working Group is scheduled to be held next year in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan is actively participating in a number of EAEU sectoral programs in the digitalization of trade and freight transport, implementation of e-commerce, and the fight against climate change.
During the current meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, a decision was taken to begin negotiations on concluding an agreement on the exchange of information about goods and vehicles moving across the customs borders of Uzbekistan and the EAEU.
– We are confident that cross-border data exchange will increase the efficiency of customs control, reduce delays, and contribute to the integration of our transport systems into Eurasian corridors, – emphasized Head of our state.
The President of Uzbekistan specifically focused on the priorities of mutually beneficial cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union.
In particular, he called for the phased elimination of trade barriers in mutual trade. He pointed to the need to intensify coordination between the institutions of the CIS and the EAEU to harmonize approaches in technical regulation, as well as sanitary and phytosanitary standards. In this context, the leader of Uzbekistan proposed developing a “roadmap” to eliminate excessive procedures and unify requirements.
To promptly resolve issues related to differences in technical regulation, certification, and customs administration, it was proposed to create a joint “Uzbekistan–EAEU” Coordination Group on tariff and non-tariff barriers.
To further expand industrial cooperation, the Head of our state proposed to jointly form a list of projects in mechanical engineering, energy, agro-industrial complex, chemical industry, and other sectors.
In connection with Uzbekistan’s accession to the Eurasian Development Bank, it was proposed to jointly define strategic areas of partnership and develop a “roadmap” covering priority infrastructure and “green” projects, as well as support for small and medium-sized businesses.
Speaking on the development of cooperation in digital technologies, the President of Uzbekistan highlighted that the priority is the digitalization of customs administration and the transition to a “seamless” model of freight transport.
– We propose to develop a roadmap with the EEC for the integration of digital platforms, including e-commerce and digital marking, – noted the President of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is interested in joining the EAEU’s technological platforms, primarily in the fields of biomedicine, new materials, agrotechnologies, energy, and robotics.
To stimulate tourist exchanges and ensure the compatibility of tourism products, the Head of our state expressed readiness to join the creation of an integrated information resource in the tourism sector.
Concluding his speech, the leader of our state reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s firm commitment to expanding a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with the Eurasian Economic Union.