President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the implementation of agreements reached during his visit to Belarus to expand interregional cooperation.
During the official visit of the Head of State to Belarus on July 8–9, important agreements were reached to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion and implement 310 joint projects and initiatives worth a total of $2 billion in the fields of mechanical engineering, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, wood processing, and healthcare.
The President emphasized the importance of implementing these agreements in a timely manner, establishing new enterprises and jobs, and creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurship.
For the implementation of investment projects in Belarus, industrial facilities and state-owned assets have been offered, while extensive agricultural land is also available. The country’s agricultural land covers 8 million hectares, accounting for approximately 40 percent of its territory.
These opportunities provide a solid foundation for establishing joint ventures, developing agricultural cooperation, expanding business ties, and promoting the organized employment of citizens.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the need to compile lists of citizens and entrepreneurs interested in working or doing business in Belarus and to ensure their organized placement in the country after coordinating with the Belarusian side on employment opportunities, living conditions, and the allocation of production facilities and land plots required for project implementation.
A report was presented on the progress of cooperation between the Andijan and Vitebsk regions during the presentation.
A roadmap has been approved between the two regions, and implementation of specific initiatives has already begun. In particular, 255 residents of the Andijan region have been sent to the Vitebsk region and employed there in an organized manner.
Furthermore, agreement was reached to implement new projects based on 11 livestock complexes. Each complex is designed to accommodate between 200 and 3,000 head of cattle and is supported by sufficient fodder land.
With the participation of Andijon Invest, work is underway to launch investment and social projects based on a large livestock complex and a health resort.
Overall, a portfolio of 30 new projects worth more than $100 million has been formed in the Vitebsk and other regions of Belarus in the fields of livestock farming, wood processing, logistics, trade, and services.
Specifically, plans call for the establishment of a large dairy complex with a capacity of 3,000 head of cattle, several medium-sized livestock farms, as well as a deep wood-processing enterprise and a pellet production facility using wood waste.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed officials to extend the cooperation model established between the Andijan and Vitebsk regions to other regions.
In particular, the Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan, Tashkent, Fergana, Samarkand, and Surkhandarya regions will be paired with the Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno, Gomel, and Brest regions of Belarus. Separate roadmaps will be approved to establish new production facilities based on industrial and agricultural sites, implement business projects, and create employment opportunities.
The presentation also addressed the development of modern logistics infrastructure to boost bilateral trade and reduce freight costs.
By the end of the year, an intermodal logistics center is scheduled to be commissioned at Orsha Station in the Vitebsk region in cooperation with Belarusian Railway. The center will handle export and import cargo under preferential tariff conditions.
In addition, officials were tasked with establishing direct block train service between the two countries in cooperation with Belarusian companies. Special attention was also given to the organized employment of citizens.
At the initial stage, 1,100 citizens of Uzbekistan are expected to be employed on a competitive basis at 13 enterprises in the Vitebsk and other regions of Belarus.
Starting from September, 500 residents of the Andijan region are expected to be provided with permanent jobs each month in the Vitebsk region, bringing the total to 5,000. To this end, a representative office of the Migration Agency will be opened in the city of Vitebsk.
Officials were tasked with assisting entrepreneurs in opening bank accounts in Belarus, making capital contributions, and securing financing for their projects.
The Head of State instructed officials to provide, on preferential terms, the necessary financing for the establishment of a modern dairy complex, a wood-processing enterprise, and a logistics company in Vitebsk.
He emphasized that every agreement reached must be translated into a concrete project, a new enterprise, increased trade, and decent jobs.
Responsible officials were instructed to ensure systematic monitoring of the implementation of the agreements reached and to conduct a critical review of the implementation of the approved roadmaps.