Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Heads of large companies, members of the Japan Association for Trade with Russia and the Newly Independent States ROTOBO took part in a round table organized in Tashkent in the “state and business” format. The event, held under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev on the Uzbek side and ROTOBO President Masami Iizhima on the Japanese side, was attended by the heads of key ministries and departments of Uzbekistan.

As part of the discussion of current joint projects and prospects for the development of Uzbek-Japanese trade and investment interaction, it was noted that the country has benefits and preferences in order to support entrepreneurs and investors. Thus, more than two hundred types of licenses and permitting procedures in the field of small business have been abolished, the total number of taxes has been reduced, and the rates of some of them have been halved. During the meeting, issues faced by Japanese entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan were also raised and mechanisms for resolving them were discussed.

Participants paid special attention to the presentation of new areas of cooperation in priority sectors.

“We know that Japan was one of the first countries in the world to set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. And in the field of “green energy” it occupies a leading position. Creating an alternative to hydroelectric and thermal power plants is one of the necessary measures to prevent energy shortages in the future. By 2026, Uzbekistan plans to create additional energy capacity, which will include 5 GW of solar energy and 3 GW of wind energy. We invite Japanese companies to participate in tenders for the construction of solar and wind power plants on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including on the principles of public-private partnership,” Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev noted in his address to the round table participants.

Among other important areas for Uzbek-Japanese cooperation, the mining industry, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, chemical and textile industries, and agriculture were identified.

In the field of IT and innovation, interest was expressed in the transfer of the best Japanese cyber, bio- and nanotechnologies, as well as in the synergy of innovations and scientific developments of Japan with the infrastructure and human resources potential of Uzbekistan.

The heads of line ministries and departments of Uzbekistan made their reports and proposals separately. Along with them, the floor was given to the heads of Japanese companies ITOCHU Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, Sojitz Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Mutual readiness was expressed to take measures to develop and practically implement new projects and initiatives.

The Uzbek side noted the financial and technical assistance through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), emphasizing that the visit of Head of State Sh. Mirziyoyev to Japan in December 2019 gave a significant impetus to deepening and intensifying friendly ties.

Following the event, the parties agreed on further measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation and high-quality implementation of the agreements reached. The participants expressed confidence that the event will serve to form new growth points for economic partnership between Uzbekistan and Japan and will help to significantly expand and strengthen interaction.