Prime Ministers of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov took part in the IV Interregional Forum "Uzbekistan - Kazakhstan", which is held in Samarkand.

They reviewed the implementation of agreements reached by the presidents of the two countries to increase bilateral trade turnover. The sides discussed issues of industrial cooperation, interaction in water, energy, transit and transport spheres, gas industry.

Uzbekistan is Kazakhstan's main trade partner in the Central Asian region. According to the results of eight months of this year, the volume of mutual trade amounted to $2.5 billion. Olzhas Bektenov noted the need to expand measures aimed at developing trade and economic cooperation and creating favourable conditions for mutual investments.

"Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have broad prospects for joint work in all areas. This, first of all, is facilitated by a trusting political dialogue between Heads of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The investment agreements and commercial contracts worth $7bn signed during the Astana Business Forum will make a significant contribution. I am convinced that today's meeting will serve as the beginning of new breakthrough projects and will make a huge contribution to ensuring sustainable economic development of the entire Central Asian region," Olzhas Bektenov emphasised.

There is great export potential in the petrochemical, metallurgical, automotive, industrial, food, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. Kazakhstan is ready to increase exports to Uzbekistan in excess of $550 million for 40 types of Kazakhstani goods of high quality.

Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov noted that the priority direction of relations between the countries today is the development of interregional cooperation.

"Over the past 7 years, mutual trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has grown almost 2.5 times, reaching $4.4bn last year. Today, more than 1,000 enterprises with Kazakh capital are operating in Uzbekistan. Border regions have established direct and close ties with each other - the Republic of Karakalpakstan with Mangystau region, Tashkent with Turkestan, Navoi with Kyzylorda. Our other regions are also consistently strengthening ties, developing trade relations and industrial co-operation. At the same time, there is a great potential that has not yet been realised," Abdulla Aripov said.

Special attention during the forum was paid to the development of industrial cooperation, which envisages the implementation of 74 joint projects with an investment volume of $3.4 billion and the creation of 14,600 jobs. Of these, 65 enterprises are planned to open on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which will provide 13.6 thousand new jobs in the country. To date, 9 joint projects have been implemented in Kazakhstan and 3 more in Uzbekistan. This has created a total of 4.8 thousand new jobs. Examples of Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan industrial co-operation include small-scale production of Chevrolet Onix cars in Kostanai, a plant for the production of household appliances in Saran, sewing and spinning-weaving factories in Shymkent and Turkestan region, autoclaved aerated concrete production in Angren and others. A new impetus to the joint work of the governments will be given by the creation of the International Centre for Industrial Cooperation "Central Asia", where services will be introduced on the principle of "one window", as well as tax, customs privileges and other preferences for entrepreneurs.

In addition, the issues of transport and logistics potential development were discussed. More than 50 per cent of Uzbekistan's trade turnover transits through Kazakhstan. There are 18 routes of passenger transportations by different types of transport, which opens new opportunities for further deepening of ties.

During the IV Forum of interregional cooperation "Kazakhstan - Uzbekistan", business forum 76 documents worth more than $352 million were signed. Among them is the Plan of practical actions to accelerate the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level. The document envisages the implementation of joint projects in energy, mining and geology. Agreements on cooperation in trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian spheres between the regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan were also signed.

It should be noted that the forum has become a platform for active discussion of current challenges and prospects of cooperation. On its margins, heads of ministries, akimats of border regions and about 200 representatives of business circles of the two countries discussed issues of interregional cooperation, development of mutual trade and establishment of joint ventures. In the ‘B2B’ format, mechanisms for deepening cooperation in such promising areas of the economy as metallurgy, construction industry, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, agriculture, food industry, IT and tourism were considered.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Industry #International Cooperation #Trade and economic cooperation #Transport