On January 17 this year, within the framework of the visit of the Government delegation of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Uzbekistan, a meeting was held between the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, in Tashkent.

The event was also attended by heads of key ministries, agencies, industry associations and chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries.

At the meeting, views were exchanged on the current state of bilateral cooperation in the investment, industrial, trade and economic, transport and logistics, cultural and humanitarian fields, as well as in the areas of water use, interregional cooperation and food security. The course of implementation of previously reached agreements was considered and the possibilities of further deepening cooperation in promising areas were studied.

The parties noted significant progress in the development of bilateral trade: over the past 4 years, the trade turnover between the two countries has increased 5 times, and in 2021 it increased by 65 percent, amounting to about $880 million.

A special place in the dialogue was given to further measures to develop industrial cooperation.

The importance of joint efforts to promote the potential of interregional cooperation was also noted. The parties discussed measures to prepare for the first Forum of the Regions of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan this year, which is designed to become a platform for establishing direct ties between the administrations and businesspeople of the two countries.

Several issues were considered in water management, cooperation and implementation of joint projects in the sphere of transport, development of a network of common transport corridors and building up the transit potential of the two countries, implementation of joint programs in culture and tourism.

At the meeting, an agreement was reached on the exchange of experience in improving the efficiency of agricultural land use, introducing international food quality standards and ensuring food security.

The parties expressed their readiness to continue active interaction in all considered areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening the multilateral partnership between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Following the meeting, investment and export agreements were signed between business entities of the two countries in agriculture, electrical engineering, chemical industry and production of building materials.

Shakhnoza Mamaturopova, UzA