Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the anniversary meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which was held in Moscow on 8 May. He attended the event as head of observer state.

The meeting, which was chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikola Pashinyan, was also attended by the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, as well as the President of Cuba as the head of the observer state and the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission. CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev was also invited as a guest.

During the meeting, important issues related to the further development of trade and economic cooperation, support for industrial cooperation projects and the implementation of joint programs in key areas were discussed.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev began his speech by congratulating Vladimir Putin on taking office as President of the Russian Federation. He also congratulated all meeting participants on the 79th anniversary of Victory in World War II and the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union.

The President of Uzbekistan noted that in modern conditions, supporting and stimulating trade and economic relations between countries plays a key role in the development of the region. He expressed his intention to increase the participation of companies from various partner countries, including Cuba, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Vietnam and Indonesia, in the Innoprom international exhibition, which was successfully held in Tashkent last month.

Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union as an observer. He noted the growth in the volume of mutual trade, especially in the field of industry, as well as the increase in the use of national currencies in payments between countries.

It was announced that more than 1 thousand joint ventures and projects have already been launched, the frequency of regular flights and the volume of cargo transportation have increased. The successful holding of three meetings of the High-Level Working Group and the full implementation of the activities of the joint Plan were also emphasized.

Uzbekistan has joined projects in the field of digitalization of trade and cargo transportation, e-commerce and the climate agenda undertaken within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

The head of the Uzbek state emphasized the importance of mutually beneficial cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and expressed interest in expanding the partnership. He proposed to prepare a new comprehensive Plan of joint activities for the medium term between the government of Uzbekistan and the Eurasian Economic Commission.

The President also confirmed his readiness to mutually eliminate barriers and restrictions in trade with the EAEU countries. Uzbekistan has begun the procedure of accession to the 2009 Rules for Determining the Country of Origin of Goods. He highlighted specific steps, such as organizing the electronic exchange of data on goods and vehicles, integrating sanitary control information systems, as well as developing a plan for the convergence of technical regulation measures and the introduction of electronic certification.

The President emphasized the importance of developing the North-South transport corridor and expressed satisfaction with the results of the first meeting of heads of transport departments on the development of a multimodal route. He proposed simplifying transit procedures by developing a set of measures for digital interaction with the Unified Customs Transit System of the EAEU.

Particular attention was paid to supporting industrial cooperation projects and production localization programs. It is proposed to develop a separate road map for the placement of new capacities in industrial zones and technology parks.

The President proposed to consider issues of attracting business to projects at the first meeting of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and the EAEU Business Council, scheduled for this year in Samarkand. He also expressed interest in using a special mechanism to support industrial cooperation programs within the Association.

The President emphasized the need to expand cooperation with the bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union in several important areas:

- development of the Eurasian Agroexpress, introduction of environmentally friendly technologies and support for the creation of joint agro-industrial clusters and logistics centers;
- development of common approaches and close cooperation in combating climate change;
- creating favorable conditions and social guarantees for migrant workers in both countries, including their connection to digital platforms;
- development of joint tourism programs and products to increase tourist exchange.