Mirziyoyev Orders Faster Implementation of Belarus Projects

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on implementing agreements to expand interregional cooperation reached during his official visit to Belarus on 8–9 July. The meeting focused on measures to implement agreements on trade, investment, industrial cooperation and employment.

According to the presentation, the two countries agreed to increase bilateral trade to US$2 billion and implement 310 joint projects and initiatives with a combined value of US$2 billion. The projects cover mechanical engineering, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, woodworking and healthcare.

The president stressed the need to begin practical implementation of the agreements as soon as possible, ensure the establishment of new enterprises and jobs, and create favourable conditions for business development.

The presentation noted that Belarus had offered industrial facilities, state-owned property and agricultural land for investment projects. According to the Uzbek side, this creates opportunities to establish joint manufacturing facilities, expand agricultural cooperation, strengthen business ties and organize employment for Uzbek citizens.

Mirziyoyev instructed officials to compile lists of citizens and entrepreneurs interested in working or doing business in Belarus and to arrange their departure only after employment, accommodation and the provision of premises and land plots have been agreed with the Belarusian side.

Particular attention was paid to cooperation between Uzbekistan's Andijan region and Belarus' Vitebsk region. A roadmap has already been approved, and 255 residents of the Andijan region have been employed in an organized manner in the Vitebsk region.

The parties also agreed to implement new projects at 11 livestock complexes, each designed to accommodate between 200 and 3,000 head of cattle. With the participation of Andijon Invest, work is also underway to launch investment and social projects based on a large livestock complex and a sanatorium.

In total, a package of 30 new projects worth more than US$100 million has been prepared in the Vitebsk region and other parts of Belarus. These include a dairy complex for 3,000 head of cattle, several livestock farms, a deep wood-processing and pellet production facility, and projects in logistics, trade and services.

The president instructed officials to extend the cooperation model between the Andijan and Vitebsk regions to other regions. Under the plan, the Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan, Tashkent, Ferghana, Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions of Uzbekistan will be paired with the Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno, Gomel and Brest regions of Belarus. Separate roadmaps will be prepared for each partnership, covering new production facilities, investment projects and employment.

The meeting also reviewed measures to develop logistics infrastructure. By the end of the year, Uzbekistan and Belarusian Railways plan to launch an intermodal logistics centre at Orsha station in the Vitebsk region to handle export and import cargo at preferential tariff rates. Officials were also instructed to establish direct block train services between the two countries.

Special attention was given to organized labour migration. At the initial stage, 1,100 Uzbek citizens are expected to be employed through a competitive selection process at 13 enterprises in the Vitebsk region and other parts of Belarus. Beginning in September, 500 residents of the Andijan region are expected to be sent each month for permanent employment in the Vitebsk region, with the total number of workers planned to reach 5,000. A representative office of the Migration Agency will be opened in Vitebsk to support the programme.

The president also instructed officials to assist entrepreneurs in opening bank accounts in Belarus, transferring funds to charter capital and securing financing for projects. Preferential financing is also to be provided for the establishment of a modern dairy complex, a woodworking plant and a logistics company in Vitebsk.

Summing up the meeting, Mirziyoyev said every agreement reached should be translated into concrete projects, new enterprises, increased trade and decent jobs. He instructed the responsible agencies to ensure systematic oversight of implementation and regularly review progress under the approved roadmaps.