Uzbekistan and Belarus intend to increase trade turnover to US$500m by 2020
21/12/2017 16:56
Uzbekistan and Belarus intend to increase trade turnover to US$500m by 2020
21/12/2017 16:56
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Uzbekistan and Belarus are planning to increase bilateral trade up to US$500 million by 2020, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy said at the 5th meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation between Belarus and Uzbekistan in Minsk.
Mikhail Rusy said that the trade turnover between the two countries made up over US$100 million in January-September 2017. He added that the countries face a serious challenge - to achieve trade turnover of US$500 million by 2020.
“For this, there are all the conditions - political, economic, technical and technological. We must work together in the markets of third countries,” Mikhail Rusy added.
Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Nodir Otajonov said that Uzbekistan and Belarus are traditional partners.
He added that the trade turnover between the countries has been growing steadily lately. To increase it to US$500 million by 2020, the countries will work closely and implement joint projects, he said.
During the meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation, the sides discussed issues of trade and economic cooperation and implementation of joint projects.
Following the meeting, Uzbekistan and Belarus signed an action plan (road map) for intensification of relations in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres for 2018.
Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy noted that Uzbekistan and Belarus should optimize and expand economic relations.
“This implies not only an increase in turnover, but also the creation of joint ventures. In 2016-2017, we managed to identify areas of cooperation across all sectors, which allow us to say that by 2020 we will be able to achieve a turnover of US$500 million,” Rusy added.
“Today we signed a roadmap for 2018, which outlined areas in which we will develop cooperation. These are machine building, agro-industrial complex, construction and production of building materials, healthcare, production of medical preparations and other directions,” he underlined.
In 2018, the countries are set to create a joint cluster of light industry and organize the delivery of quarry equipment, as well as create service centers.
According to the Vice Prime Minister of Belarus, about 1,000 Belarus tractors will be assembled in Uzbekistan in 2018.
He said that Belarusian company Amkodor established a joint production on the basis of the Tashkent plant of agricultural machines. He noted that Uzbekistan and Belarus can cooperate in the sphere of leather industry.
“Using resources from Uzbekistan, we can recycle with us and make quality leather and shoes. We also work on cooperation in the food industry - dried fruits, fruits and vegetables, confectionery, malt supply. The road map details the action plan for cooperation in all areas. Behind each direction, the deputy minister is fixed on both sides,” Mikhail Rusy said.
He added that the task was set to establish an enterprise for production of pharmaceuticals for treatment of hepatitis and oncological diseases in Uzbekistan.
Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Nodir Otajonov said that the countries outlined a concrete action plan for investment activity
“Belarus is famous for the high level of information technologies, engineering, construction, and we are aimed at developing cooperation in these areas. We will also be glad to attract investors from Belarus in such areas as pharmaceuticals, confectionary industry, agriculture,” he added.
Within the framework of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission, a memorandum of understanding was signed on cooperation between the Ministry of Industry of Belarus and Uzeltekhsanoat on joint activities in the electrical industry.
Uzbekistan and Belarus intend to prepare a new agreement on cooperation until 2028 until February 2018.
$ 1 | 12727.96 | +0.134% |
1 | 13781.84 | +0.459% |
₽ 1 | 139.46 | +0.288% |