Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aziz Voitov held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Uzbekistan, Ms. Aurelia Bouchez. At the beginning of the meeting, Aziz Voitov warmly congratulated the ambassador on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and France.

During the dialogue, it was emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan is working in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of France and other specialized companies.

Aziz Voitov presented his proposals for enhancing exports. In particular, the minister put forward the idea of growing fruits and vegetables and legumes suitable for the climatic conditions of Uzbekistan, exporting them to France and other countries. In 2021, agricultural and food products worth US$1.6 million were exported from our country to France.

It was also said at the meeting that Uzbekistan is ready to increase the supply capacity of fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, and the French side, in turn, is ready to supply processed products (sunflower oil, ketchup, etc.).

It is known that the French state is a promising partner in the joint implementation of investment projects with large companies in the processing of fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese and other food products. The Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan has established contact with the leading French companies Danone and Lactalis in the field of milk and food production. In the future, it is planned to increase bilateral visits in this regard.

During the dialogue, issues of cooperation in the field of science were also highlighted. It is noted that today the work is carried out jointly with the French INRAE (Institute of Agriculture, Food and Environment Research), CIRAD (Agricultural Research Center for International Development), Bordeaux and Veterinary Institutes. In addition, it is planned to strengthen ties in the field of agricultural education. It is planned to participate in the training programs for highly qualified specialists of the Tashkent State Agrarian University.

At the end of the meeting, Aziz Voitov thanked Ambassador Aurelia Bouchez for constructive and meaningful dialogue and made the following proposals for the development of viticulture and winemaking: ֿ“We want to study your experience in the development of the viticulture sector, because in Uzbekistan the wine export indicators are still small, but a significant amount is exported grapes. We propose to work on the principle of importing "in-vitro" seedlings for growing French grape varieties in Uzbekistan," Aziz Voitov suggested.