Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 12 July, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC) Mikhail Myasnikovich met with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a working visit to Uzbekistan. 

The parties discussed the level of interaction and opportunities for expanding dialogue, deepening and intensifying cooperation. This was reported by the press service of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

“The Eurasian Economic Commission is actively cooperating with the Government of Uzbekistan. There are reserves for building up cooperation and, most importantly, your personal, dear Mr. President, political will to deepen integration,” stressed the Chairman of the EEC Board.

The EAEU is one of the largest trading partners of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

“We see the prospect of deepening our cooperation in the field of investment and financial policy, migration, as well as in new areas - science, tourism and healthcare, which are gradually being fixed on our agenda,” Mikhail Myasnikovich said.

He also noted the areas in which the interaction between Uzbekistan as an observer state to the EAEU with the Commission is currently the most intensive. First of all, these are trade policy, technical regulation, industrial cooperation and transport.

According to the Chairman of the EEC Board, one of the key drivers for further interaction is the initiatives in specific areas of cooperation, announced earlier by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“Together with the Government of Uzbekistan, we are working on the implementation of your initiatives during the May meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council,” said Mikhail Myasnikovich.

The Eurasian Economic Commission will provide the most active support in further cooperation.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the well-established systemic interaction of Uzbekistan with the structures of the EAEU as an observer state. He noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics of growth in indicators of mutual trade and investment with the EAEU countries.

During the meeting, special attention was paid to the issues of further elimination of trade barriers, strengthening of industrial cooperation and stimulation of business contacts, development of project cooperation, promotion of projects and programs in the field of transit, simplification of migration procedures and expansion of tourist exchange.

An agreement was reached to hold the next meeting of the joint working group.

As part of the working visit of the Chairman of the EEC Board to Uzbekistan, a meeting was also held with the Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Foreign Economic Relations - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov.

During the meeting, issues of interaction between Uzbekistan and the EAEU in the status of an observer state were discussed. The parties voiced mutual commitment to the principles of mutually beneficial economic cooperation, equality and consideration of national interests, as well as the implementation of joint measures to create additional opportunities for closer cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EAEU countries in the investment, trade, economic and transport and logistics spheres.

Mutual readiness was also expressed for the implementation of joint programs to increase industrial and agro-industrial cooperation, create conditions for unhindered mutual trade and increase the efficiency of using the region’s transit potential.

In this context, the format for further work was determined to simplify logistics and customs procedures, remove existing barriers, harmonize technical regulations and technical regulations, as well as develop and implement measures aimed at simplifying labor migration and the movement of specialists.

The parties agreed and signed the List of additional areas of cooperation in the Plan of joint activities of the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2021-2023.

The updated document will become the basis for intensifying trade and economic ties. It includes new areas of industry cooperation. This is work on the gradual harmonization of approaches in the field of customs cooperation (including the use of navigation seals to track shipments, other aspects of customs transit), technical regulation, sanitary, phytosanitary and veterinary standards. We are also talking about cooperation on the digitalization of freight transportation, the climate agenda, e-commerce, the participation of Uzbekistan in the implementation of the Eurasian Agroexpress project, etc.

Various ways of intensifying the business dialogue were considered. Mikhail Myasnikovich, in particular, proposed holding a joint meeting of the business councils of the EAEU and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The parties paid special attention to issues on the international agenda of the EAEU.

“The Republic of Uzbekistan is able to play the role of an effective link with the Eastern partners for the EAEU. To become a bridge between the EAEU, the One Belt, One Road initiative and the Greater Eurasian Partnership,” said the Chairman of the EEC Board.

Uzbekistan and the EAEU countries have long years of cooperation. At the end of December 2020, Uzbekistan was granted the status of an observer state to the EAEU. A development infrastructure for interaction has been created: on 30 April 2021, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Commission and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as a Plan of joint activities until 2023, was signed in Kazan. There is a Joint Working Group on interaction between the EEC and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan. A series of seminars on the broad economic agenda of the Commission was held for representatives of state bodies of the Republic of Uzbekistan. This raises the level of awareness of the state administration bodies of Uzbekistan about the Union’s regulation, which will contribute to gradual harmonization with the law of the EAEU.

The EAEU is in first place among the foreign trade partners of Uzbekistan (the share in trade turnover is 30.4%), ahead of China (17.7%), the EU (9.2%), Turkey (8.1%). In turn, Uzbekistan is the second largest trading partner of the Union among the CIS countries that are not members of the EAEU.

At the end of 2021, the trade turnover between the EAEU states and Uzbekistan grew by a third and exceeded US$11.6 billion.

In January-May 2022, the turnover of foreign trade in goods and services of the EAEU and Uzbekistan increased by 26% compared to the same period last year and amounted to US$5.6 billion (EAEU exports to Uzbekistan - US$3.8 billion (+23.8%), imports – US$1.8 billion (+31%).