Uzbekistan, Indonesia Accelerate Free Trade Talks

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Bilateral talks were held on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF-2026) between the Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ibrokhim Ergashev, and the Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Dyah Roro Esti.

The main theme of the agenda was accelerating trade, economic, and investment cooperation between the two states.

During the meeting, the diplomats noted with satisfaction the rapid dynamics of the business partnership, as mutual trade turnover between the countries demonstrated a record growth of 82% at the end of 2025, reaching US$150.8 million.

In order to institutionally secure these positive trends, the parties reached an agreement in principle to activate the negotiation process for the preparation and conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

A separate strategic block of the discussion focused on removing non-tariff barriers in mutual trade. In particular, the Uzbek side raised the issue of optimizing and simplifying bilateral phytosanitary and quarantine requirements, which will significantly increase the export volume of domestic products to the large Indonesian market.

In addition to the intergovernmental track, the ministries intend to focus on stimulating direct cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises.

For the practical implementation and monitoring of all agreements reached at the forum, the parties agreed on a schedule for holding a substantive meeting of the joint Working Group in the near future, which will involve key sectoral departments from both countries.

At the conclusion of the official dialogue, the Indonesian delegation confirmed its full readiness to provide comprehensive assistance in strengthening the strategic partnership and organizing large-scale joint business events.