Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Belarus and Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Region intend to expand cooperation by moving beyond trade transactions towards the implementation of joint projects directly in the regions.
Prospects for interregional cooperation were discussed in Minsk on 29 October by Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Shuleiko and Ferghana Region Governor Khairullo Bozorov, BelTA reported.
Shuleiko noted the interest of Uzbek entrepreneurs in working with Belarusian partners and stressed that developing business contacts at the regional level would help strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries.
He said the sides planned to assess the results achieved so far, identify areas for further cooperation and consider issues requiring resolution. Belarus, he added, was committed to implementing previously reached agreements.
Shuleiko also emphasised the need to move away from intermediary arrangements towards direct cooperation between companies in the two countries. He said the effective use of Belarusian and Uzbek transport infrastructure would play an important role in this process.
Bozorov said the sides were working on new projects and initiatives. According to him, meetings at the highest level had created conditions for expanding cooperation between the regions. While Ferghana Region initially developed ties mainly with Belarus’s Gomel Region, its cooperation now also extends to Minsk Region.
The governor highlighted woodworking projects as a separate area of cooperation. The participants also discussed other potential areas for joint work.
Shuleiko said the development of Belarus’s partnership with Ferghana Region could serve as an example of successful interregional cooperation for other regions of the two countries.
