On May 27, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part at the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council as the Head of an observer state at the Organization.
The event, held in a videoconferencing format chaired by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, was also attended by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the 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 the issues of further development of the mutually beneficial cooperation and deepening of integration processes in the EAEU space, including practical interaction in the economy, trade, industry, transport and other areas.
At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan has noted the active chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan at the EAEU, which contributes to enhancing of the multifaceted cooperation within the Organization.
It was emphasized that the negative consequences of the pandemic have been mitigated by joint efforts and the 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% and since the beginning of this year it has grown by another 33%. The annual growth rate of attracted investments from the EAEU countries is about 25%.
Noting the rapid changes taking place in the world and crisis phenomena that have become a serious challenge for the stability of our countries, the President of Uzbekistan had outlined the most urgent tasks that require the joint solutions.
The President of Uzbekistan has called for 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 the 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 early start of the practical implementation of project for the construction of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway, which will create the additional opportunities for entering the markets of the Asia-Pacific region, was noted.
The 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 President of Uzbekistan has 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 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 is proposed to develop a joint “Roadmap” to stimulate the cooperation ties and deepen localization in the 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.
A particular attention was paid to the need to combine efforts in the sphere of tourism designed to become a natural driver of economic development, as well as resume in full the passenger transport between the related countries.
The President has proposed to hold in Uzbekistan a Forum for the development of the tourism industry with the participation of leading companies from the EAEU countries.
At the end of his speech, the President has reiterated the commitment of Uzbekistan to the progressive strengthening of the mutually beneficial cooperation and multifaceted partnerships with the Eurasian Economic Union in order to ensure a sustainable development and improve prosperity in the countries.