Thursday, 28, March, 2024

The first meeting in 10 years of the Uzbekistan–Turkey Economic Commission was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Azimov, Foreign Trade Minister Elyar Ganiyev, Chairman of the Tourism Development Committee Anvar Sharapov and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş, Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci, Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci and other officials.

Following the meeting, Azimov and Türkeş signed a Protocol of the 4th Meeting of the Commission, and oversaw the signing of a Cooperation Program by the chairman of Uzbek Tourism Development Committee Anvar Sharapov and Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avci. Ministers Ganiyev and Zeybekci also signed a Protocol modifying the Agreement on prevention of double taxation between the two countries. The Chairman of the Committee for Investments of Uzbekistan Ahmadhadjayev and Turkish Minister of Economy Zeybekci signed an Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investments between the two countries' governments.

Uzbek Deputy PM Azimov stressed that the visit of the Turkey’s three government member strong delegation to Uzbekistan is the evidence of the significance that Turkey is giving to the ties with Uzbekistan, and said that his country is ready to provide all the necessary conditions and facilities for Turkish capital and businesses.

Rustam Azimov added that today's draft agreements will be presented for signing to the two countries' Presidents when they meet for talks. The fact that Eximbank has given Uzbekistan a first tranche of $ 350 million loan and Ziraat Bank's opening of its branches in Uzbekistan is a significant contribution to the further development of bilateral ties. Azimov noted that Turkish businesses will see the same level of banking services provided by Ziraat Bank that they are familiar with in their countries.

Rustam Azimov also voiced that Minister Avci's visit to Uzbekistan proved to be of help in furthering the business alliance between the two countries in tourism. He emphasized the importance of this, adding that he wanted to see improved ties with Turkey in transport sphere. He added that they supported the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway route and the Marmaray tunnel, which was being built on President Erdogan's initiatives, and saw it as the easiest and cheapest route to transport the products of Uzbekistan to Turkey and Europe, and emphasized that Uzbekistan would eventually highly benefit from it. Noting that this meeting and the signed agreements will serve to further advance the relations between the two countries, Azimov said, "We have agreed to meet not once in 9 years, but every three months."

Speaking at a briefing after the signing ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Türkeş  stated that he was very pleased by how the 4th Commission meeting was conducted, and that he considers it as a platform to bring commercial and economic ties with Uzbekistan to the highest level. Türkeş noted that the two-way trade turnover of US$ 1.2 billion is unacceptable and emphasized that this figure should be raised to the levels it deserves as soon as possible.

Türkeş noted that the future of relations between Uzbekistan and Turkey is bright, and that there is a will to this end of the two Presidents. Türkeş emphasized that the protocols and agreements are great steps to boost the business and economic ties of two countries that are predisposed to improving relations with each other.

Uzbekistan and Turkey signed agreements on the implementation of projects worth over $ 2 billion following the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

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