Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – First deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akramjon Nematov outlined a number of priority areas for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in Central Asia.

According to the first deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akramjon Nematov, firstly, it is important to enter a new model of economic cooperation in the region, create a barrier-free zone of trade and economic interaction, strengthen free trade regime, free movement of labor, capital and services. We must continue to create a capacious market for the Central Asian countries.

Secondly, the countries of the region need to develop industrial cooperation, create unified production chains, and increase the production of products with high added value. Geographic proximity, similar infrastructure and standards, as well as the availability of complementary resources are conducive to joining efforts in this direction.

To make the work in this direction systematic, the expert emphasized the importance of signing an Agreement on general directions of regional trade and economic cooperation, initiated by the head of Uzbekistan during the third Consultative meeting of the heads of states of Central Asia.

Thirdly, the representative of the ISMI drew attention to the importance of developing investment cooperation. At the same time, the Central Asian countries should not rely solely on the attraction of external resources, but also mobilize their own resources, create conditions for investment activities of the private sector in the countries of the region.

Currently, bilateral cooperation has been established, investment funds have been created to support new joint projects, such as the Uzbek-Kyrgyz Investment Fund, the Uzbek-Tajik Investment Company, whose funds are used to implement joint investment projects.

Fourth, we must also strengthen regional identity. Strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties in the region should go parallel to the development of political and economic cooperation. Recently, contacts in Central Asia have significantly increased in the area of cultural and humanitarian cooperation, "people’s diplomacy" and parliaments. As a result, friendship and good-neighborliness between our peoples are being strengthened.

The instruments of "people’s diplomacy" have shown their effectiveness in practice. In 2020, more than 90 various meetings, videoconferences, round tables and other similar events were held with the participation of scientists and artists, businessmen, cultural and religious workers, etc.

Recently, the role of parliaments has increased in the countries of Central Asia, which play an increasingly important role in the socio-political life of the country, and inter-parliamentary cooperation is actively developing. We believe that the holding of the Regional Parliamentary Forum in Tashkent will contribute to the development of inter-parliamentary dialogue and bringing inter-parliamentary cooperation to a higher level.

At the international scientific-practical conference on the theme "New Uzbekistan and regional partnership in Central Asia", organized on 18 October by the International Institute of Central Asia (ICA) in conjunction with the representative of the German Foundation. K. Adenauer in Central Asia, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, accredited in Uzbekistan, as well as leading scientists and experts from Central Asian countries, Russia, China, USA and Germany took part.