Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The meeting between Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov and representatives of the Japan Association for Trade with Russia and Newly Independent States (ROTOBO) headed by ROTOBO President Masami Iijima was held at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The Japan Association for Trade with Russia and the NIS (ROTOBO) was established on 16 January 1967. ROTOBO promotes trade and business cooperation between Japanese enterprises and the former socialist countries of Eurasia (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Mongolia). ROTOBO has about 200 member companies, including traders, manufacturers, banks, securities companies, industry associations, transport and shipping companies and local authorities.

The meeting was attended by the Directors of the Departments Temirmalik Kholikov, Khurshed Mustafayev and Zafar Astanov, as well as Bobur Abdinazarov, Chairman of the Board of UzAssets JSC. The foreign side was represented by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Japan to Uzbekistan Takashi Hatori, ROTOBO Vice-Presidents Tetsuya Shinohara, Masahiro Imai, Ryutaro Hirai and Hirokazu Higashino, and ROTOBO Director General Takafumi Nakai.

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov congratulated Masami Iijima on being awarded the "Order of the Rising Sun" and noted the long history of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan. He emphasised the importance of developing bilateral cooperation and expressed Uzbekistan's interest in attracting foreign direct investment and supporting the development of Japanese business in the country.

During the meeting, Masami Iijima noted the interest of the Japanese community in Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan. He emphasised the successes achieved within the framework of strategic partnership and expressed readiness to further develop this partnership.

In addition, participants discussed the importance of developing a green economy and its potential to stimulate economic growth. Both sides recognized that the development of environmentally sustainable and energy efficient projects can be a key factor in promoting economic development and job creation.

Following the meeting, the sides expressed readiness to continue cooperation. They noted the effectiveness and productivity of the talks, which have contributed to strengthening cooperation and deepening interaction between Uzbekistan and Japan.