Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called for ensuring the full operation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) free trade area without restrictions.
To achieve this, he said, countries need to remove technical barriers, ensure mutual recognition of certificates of conformity and expand access to public procurement.
Mirziyoyev made the remarks on 9 October at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Awaza, Turkmenistan, according to the press service of the President of Uzbekistan.
He identified the effective operation of the free trade area as the first priority on which CIS countries should focus their joint efforts.
According to the president, experience across the Commonwealth shows that economic integration and industrial cooperation remain among the main foundations of resilience and development. Uzbekistan believes the countries should make full use of their combined potential and take trade and investment partnerships to a new level.
Mirziyoyev proposed gradually moving beyond the simple exchange of goods towards jointly building full value chains by producing goods together, investing and bringing products to external markets.
Such cooperation, he said, delivers tangible benefits in the form of new businesses, jobs and higher incomes for citizens.
Addressing market access, the president also discussed agricultural trade. Uzbekistan hopes to secure the swift approval of an agreement to expand mutual access to public procurement of agricultural products.
Mirziyoyev also proposed introducing a mechanism for advance notification and consultations before restrictions are imposed on food and fertiliser exports.
Speaking at the summit, the president noted that the world was undergoing profound changes, with tensions rising and established economic ties being reconfigured.
Under these circumstances, he stressed the importance of ensuring that agreements deliver tangible results.
Uzbekistan will assume the CIS chairmanship next year.
