Actual tasks to expand cooperation between Uzbekistan and China considered

On February 12 this year, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Umurzakov held a meeting via videoconference on expanding multifaceted cooperation with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The meeting was attended by heads of ministries, departments, industry associations, commercial banks, local authorities of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and regions. The leadership of the diplomatic mission and consulates-general of the Republic of Uzbekistan in China also participated.

During the meeting, urgent tasks were considered to further strengthen trade, economic, investment and industrial cooperation, intensify interregional dialogue and exchange of innovative experience between Uzbekistan and China.

Measures were discussed for the qualitative and timely implementation of bilateral agreements reached during the visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to China in February this year.

The heads of ministries and departments were tasked with developing new proposals for using the industrial and innovative potential of China in the development of the national economy. In the near future, targeted Roadmaps will be developed to deepen investment cooperation and develop industrial cooperation, including through the introduction of advanced Chinese industrial technologies and innovative developments in the context of industries. It was also instructed to carry out work to attract leading Chinese companies and industrial holdings to participate in the work of the Tashkent International Investment Forum in order to discuss the potential of priority sectors for the economy of Uzbekistan in terms of establishing industrial cooperation with Chinese manufacturers.

Special attention was paid to further steps to increase the volume of mutual trade. It was instructed to analyze the structure of Chinese imports and develop proposals for increasing the supply of high-quality and competitive domestic products that are in demand on the Chinese market. The management of the Agency for Technical Regulation was instructed to develop a separate “Roadmap” to expand exports to China by harmonizing technical regulation standards and eliminating existing trade barriers. It was also instructed to pay attention to the development of trade with China through the creation of special online trading platforms for retail trade.

The importance of intensifying cooperation in the transport and logistics sector was also noted. The heads of relevant ministries and departments were instructed to organize bilateral working groups with colleagues from the PRC in order to identify and solve problems related to cargo transportation between the two countries, as well as to ensure the smooth delivery of supplied goods.

Separate instructions were given in the field of deepening interregional cooperation: the leaders of the regions, through direct negotiations with Chinese counterparts, will promptly draw up targeted Roadmaps for investment, industrial, trade, innovation, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with economically developed provinces and major cities of the PRC.

No less attention was paid to establishing cooperation in the field of innovation – the leadership of the Agency for Strategic Development and the Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investments was tasked with developing an action plan to attract advanced Chinese experience and implement innovative projects in the IT sector, healthcare, education, agriculture and other directions.

Also on the agenda of the meeting were issues related to preparations for events planned under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including the organization of the upcoming SCO summit and the establishment of the industrial zone “Uzbekistan – SCO” in Samarkand. Topical tasks of an organizational and substantive nature, as well as the current state of elaboration of bilateral documents planned for signing as part of the planned events, were considered.

As a result of the meeting, the responsible managers were given additional instructions as part of the fulfillment of the tasks assigned to them.

 

Source: mift.uz