Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 4 March 2021, under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Subbotin, the 8th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Belarus.

The meeting was also attended by the heads of relevant ministries, departments, industry associations, chambers of commerce and industry and large industrial enterprises of the two countries.

The agenda of the event covered a wide range of issues of trade, economic, industrial, transport, logistics, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, prospects for its expansion and new areas of bilateral cooperation.

During their speeches, the heads of the two delegations emphasized the huge untapped potential in the development of partnerships to attract investments, implement mutually beneficial projects and increase the volume of mutual trade through the entry of Uzbek and Belarusian manufacturers into the markets of the two countries.

In this context, the importance of the activities of the newly created Uzbek-Belarusian Business Council was noted as a platform for expanding the economic dialogue of interaction between representatives of the business circles of the two countries.

Great prospects were outlined in the development of industrial cooperation, in connection with which a vector was outlined to intensify joint work to deepen cooperative ties between entrepreneurs of the two countries within the framework of the interaction of joint working groups in the light and food industries, agriculture, construction industry and pharmaceuticals.

During the event, the heads of relevant ministries and departments of the two countries also spoke, presenting their vision of the development of bilateral partnership in the context of specific industries and areas, as well as voicing constructive proposals for further cooperation.

Mutual readiness was indicated to develop cooperation in the transport and logistics sphere, bearing in mind the formation of competitive conditions for the implementation of railway transportation through the territories of the two countries and an increase in the frequency of flights, which, according to the participants, will significantly contribute to the growth of direct contacts between the business circles of the two countries and mutual tourist flows.

Special attention was paid to the possibilities of strengthening interregional cooperation, in particular, by organizing mutual visits of heads of regional administrations and business missions of the two countries to the regions of Uzbekistan and Belarus to develop new investment projects and trade agreements.

They also discussed the prospects for expanding cooperation in the scientific, innovation, cultural and humanitarian spheres and the progress achieved in this area. In particular, in 2020, the Belarusian-Uzbek Interdisciplinary Institute of Applied Technical Qualifications was created, and at present, a joint commission within the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the State Committee for Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus is working on 15 joint scientific projects for subsequent implementation.

During the event, a number of bilateral documents were signed in the field of education, tourism, pharmaceuticals, standardization and certification, cultural, humanitarian and interregional cooperation.

Following the meeting, a final protocol was signed, reflecting the key agreements reached during the event and the main vectors for further deepening multifaceted cooperation between the two states.