Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 8 September 2020, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov held online consultations with the heads of diplomatic missions of the United States and EU countries, as well as representatives of international organizations and financial institutions in Uzbekistan, within the framework of which the prospects for cooperation in reforming the cotton and textile industries of the Republic were discussed.

Foreign partners praised the practical measures taken by the government to modernize the cotton industry by introducing water-saving technologies for growing cotton and mechanizing the processes of cotton picking, as well as by consistently switching to market mechanisms for attracting workers to seasonal cotton picking. So, in 2019, a program was launched in Syrdarya, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya and Tashkent regions to increase the level of mechanization of cotton picking with the prospect of spreading this practice to other regions of Uzbekistan.

According to foreign diplomats and development partners, another achievement in the direction of reforming this industry was the cancellation of the state order for raw cotton, which will allow the implementation of free pricing mechanisms in the cotton market and create favorable conditions for the development of the private sector in this industry.

Significant progress in building up value chains in the textile sector and the transition from the export of raw cotton to the production and export of finished textile products with high added value was emphasized. At the same time, the use of the cluster production system is expanding - the number of cotton clusters, first created in Uzbekistan in 2017, has grown to 75.

Efforts to establish a constructive dialogue with the Cotton Campaign and other non-profit non-governmental organizations on the elimination of forced labor and increasing the transparency of the textile supply chain were also highly appreciated.

During the consultations, an exchange of views took place on further prospects for cooperation to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of Uzbek textiles in the international market, including through the introduction of generally accepted industry standards for responsible cotton production, the creation of a system of continuous reporting on measures taken to reform the country’s textile industry and increase transparency in all levels of the production cycle.

As a result of the event, an agreement was reached to create a permanent platform for joint discussion of issues of mutual interest in the framework of cooperation in the designated areas.