Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A delegation of Uzbekistan based in the United States, headed by Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairwoman of the National Commission on Combating Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labor Tanzila Narbayeva, met with President of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) Julia Hughes.

During the meeting, the prospects for establishing business partnerships with American brands were discussed against the backdrop of the end of the "cotton boycott" by the Cotton Campaign coalition.

The USFIA representative welcomed the policy of the government of Uzbekistan aimed at the transition from the supply of raw cotton to the export of finished textile products with higher added value. According to Julia Hughes, against the backdrop of changes in supply chains from traditional markets, Uzbekistan has the potential to become an attractive supplier country for textile products. U.S. retailers and textile brands are focusing on their ability to track the entire production chain for compliance with labor and other social standards when looking at sources of supply.

In this context, the American side welcomed the efforts of Uzbekistan to introduce mechanisms in the system of textile clusters aimed at ensuring environmentally, economically and socially sustainable methods of cotton and textile production.

As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached to continue coordination on establishing direct business contacts between American brands and domestic textile manufacturers.