The Head of State has traditionally participated in the summits of this integration organization since Uzbekistan received observer status in 2020.
The current meeting, chaired by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, was attended by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, as the head of the observer state – President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel, and Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon participated as invited heads of state.
In accordance with the agenda, current issues of further enhancing multilateral trade and economic collaboration, support for industrial cooperation projects, and implementation of joint programs in priority areas of interaction were considered.
In his speech, the President of Uzbekistan noted the active participation of Uzbekistan as an observer state to the EAEU in activities aimed at developing mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of the organization.
Work is being carried out jointly to create favorable conditions and search for new growth points and opportunities for enhancing trade relations.
In 2022, the trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the EAEU countries increased by 23 percent. Steady growth dynamics are observed this year as well.
In industrial cooperation, hundreds of joint projects and enterprises in priority sectors have been launched in Uzbekistan recently.
Efficient platforms have been created to stimulate business dialogue, including the traditional International Industrial Exhibition “INNOPROM. Central Asia”, successfully held for the third time in Tashkent in April this year.
Constructive cooperation has been established with the Eurasian Economic Commission. Within the framework of the three-year Joint Work Plan, more than 200 events were held to harmonize legislation with international standards, exchange experience in regulating the economy, and remove barriers in trade, economic, transport, and communication spheres.
Uzbekistan participates in individual programs and sectoral projects in trade facilitation, transport, agriculture, ecology, and tourism.
“Strengthening global challenges, serious gaps in transport and logistics chains, growing risks of food and energy security and other problems necessitate closer coordination to address the priority tasks of sustainable socio-economic development of our countries”, the Leader of Uzbekistan emphasized.
The Head of State called for the continuation of joint work to simplify trade procedures and create conditions for a radical increase in trade between the countries. This will be facilitated by adopting the Agreement on Eliminating Technical Barriers and Mutual Recognition of Certificates.
The President of Uzbekistan outlined the importance of integrating electronic platforms and online systems of customs administration, sanitary, phytosanitary, and veterinary supervision, as well as certification of the origin of goods. It was proposed to hold substantive consultations at the expert level to develop mechanisms for implementing this initiative.
“We consider it important to take joint measures to deepen industrial cooperation and localization as an important factor in creating new jobs and forming industrial hubs in the Eurasian space”, the President noted.
Interest was expressed in participating in multilateral programs of financial support for the implementation of cooperation projects and the activities of the EAEU Business Council.
Noting the importance of strengthening joint work on the formation of alternative transport corridors and the creation of sustainable supply chains, the Leader of Uzbekistan spoke in favor of the development of international North–South routes and other highways connecting our region with China, the countries of the Middle East and South Asia.
The Head of State called for close coordination in matters of tariff policy and invited to join the work of the Project Office for the implementation of the Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan railway construction project.
In the field of food security, the President of Uzbekistan proposed to stimulate active substitution of imports of agricultural goods and food products, ensure the full functioning of green corridors, support joint research and innovation, and encourage the development of cooperative ties between representatives of the agribusiness of our countries.
For these purposes, it was proposed to hold an Agrarian Forum in the EAEU Plus format in Uzbekistan with the participation of the Ministers of Agriculture, leading producers, and food importers.
The opportunities for broad cooperation in training highly qualified specialists, establishing partnerships between universities and vocational education centers, and participation in joint projects to support scientific research were noted. It was proposed to develop an action plan for the joint training of in-demand personnel in engineering and technical specialties.
In conclusion, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan expressed confidence that the results of the next Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting would contribute to the development of new areas, forms, and mechanisms of mutually beneficial cooperation with the EAEU countries.
