Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- As part of the Chairmanship of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, on 16 August this year, the II Economic Forum began its work in Tashkent. 

The platform in a hybrid format attracted heads of ministries and departments responsible for developing the economy, trade and attracting investments, heads of industry associations, commercial banks, large state corporations, chambers of commerce and industry, experts and other members of the delegations of the SCO member states to a dialogue.

The agenda of the Forum includes a plenary session, which was attended by the heads of the ministries of economy and trade of the SCO member states, as well as representatives of the Secretariat of the Organization.

On behalf of the Uzbek delegation, Aziz Voitov, First Deputy Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, delivered a speech to the Forum participants. The speech drew attention to the importance of concentrating common efforts in such priority areas of cooperation as the joint development of the investment potential of the SCO region, the development of a joint action plan to encourage mutual investment, ensuring sustainable growth in trade, strengthening transport interconnectivity, ensuring the continuity of supply chains, as well as expanding cooperation in the field of food security and agro-industry.

The Forum participants emphasized the stable, positive dynamics of the growth of trade between the SCO countries. In 2021, the volume of foreign trade of the organization’s member states exceeded US$8 trillion, having increased by a third, while the internal trade turnover of the SCO countries increased to US$768 billion, an increase of almost 40%.

During the panel session, attention was also paid to the speedy implementation of projects of regional importance, such as the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the trans-Afghan corridor, which will increase the volume of cargo transportation in the territories of a number of SCO countries.

The speakers stressed that the event is an important platform for discussing topical issues of multilateral cooperation and exchanging views on the prospects for developing relations between the SCO member states in the trade, economic and investment fields, as well as expanding industrial cooperation.

The first day of the Forum also included the SCO Industrial Innovation Fair and bilateral talks between members of delegations from various countries.

The program of the second day of the Forum will include a series of panel sessions dedicated to the discussion of priority investment projects, factors for deepening international cooperation, measures to restore trade and economic ties, expand cooperation in the era of digitalization, and develop a green economy in the SCO space.