NEWS
Uzbekistan offers Belarus to set up joint ventures in farm engineering
 Uzbekistan offers Belarus to set up joint ventures in farm engineering, cattle breeding and pharmaceutics, Nodirkhon Khanov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan - head of the construction sector, industry, construction material, housing and municipal services and transport, said at a session of the joint Belarus-Uzbek commission for bilateral cooperation. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan briefed that today there are 80 companies with the Belarusian capital in Uzbekistan and six joint ventures with Uzbek capital in Belarus.
“The two states have an untapped potential in the area. The results we have reached are not the limit. We can identify concrete areas of cooperation in the new sectors,” the Uzbek Vice Premier underlined. Nodirkhon Khanov noted that the free trade regime between Belarus and Uzbekistan has led to a considerable growth in trade turnover.
Nodirkhon Khanov noted that “the two countries are traditional partners linked by many-year trade and economic, sci-tech, cultural relations”. The two countries maintain a constant constructive dialogue.
Today, Belarus and Uzbekistan have been actively developing bilateral relations and cooperation in international economic organisations. The two countries have been working on strengthening links in the sci-tech area, healthcare, education, culture, the Uzbek Vice-Premier underlined. He considers that the two sides have to tap deeper into the sci-tech potential. Uzbekistan is ready to offer Belarus a wide range of products, equipment and technologies that are in demand at the Belarusian market.
“Our countries are centers of scientific thought both on the regional and international scale,” Nodirkhon Khanov considers. According to him, Uzbekistan knows well about the achievements of Belarus in the development of new materials, research in material science, physics, information science, energy-saving technologies, alternative energy in the agricultural industry.
The bilateral cooperation will be promoted by the new projects in farm engineering. The Uzbek side also offers to set up joint ventures in pedigree cattle breeding and development of veterinary medical products. The two sides can set up joint ventures in pharmaceutics as well.
Tourism development is another promising area of bilateral cooperation.
In 2007, Uzbekistan ranked fifth in foreign trade and exports of the Republic of Belarus with the CIS countries. In 2007, trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan reached $114.6 million, up 62.7% over 2006. The exports totaled $93.1 million, up 71.6%, imports - $21.6 million, up 33.2%. Belarus’ trade surplus with Uzbekistan was $71.4 million.
In January-April 2008, trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan increased by 40.3% as against the same period of 2007 and reached $44.04 million. The exports grew 33.6% to $34.6 million, imports 71.3% to $9.5 million. Trade surplus totaled $25.1 million.
Uzbek major imports from Belarus are high-tech products: trucks, tractors, articles from wood, equipment, household appliances, medicines.
Economic relations of Belarus and Uzbekistan have great potential for further development
The economic relations of Belarus and Uzbekistan have great potential for further development, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko noted during his meeting with Naddirkhon Khanon, the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan in Minsk on June 19.
On June 19, Minsk hosted the 3rd session of the joint intergovernmental commission for the bilateral cooperation between Belarus and Uzbekistan.
The session focused on the issues related to the increase of the bilateral trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan, the development of the sci-tech cooperation, contacts in tourism and sports. The sides also discussed the development of the treaty-legal base of the bilateral cooperation.
In 2007, Uzbekistan took the fifth place in the foreign trade and exports of the Republic of Belarus with the CIS countries. In 2007, the trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan reached $114.6 million, 62.7% up over 2006. The exports totaled $93.1 million, 71.6% up, imports - $21.6 million, 33.2% up. Belarus registered trade surplus of $71.4 million.
In January-April 2008, the trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan increased by 40.3% as against the same period of 2007 and reached $44.04 million. The exports grew 33.6% up to $34.6 million, imports – 71.3% to $9.5 million. Trade surplus totaled $25.1 million.
According to Vladimir Semashko, the trade between the two countries is not significant. The Vice Premier noted that the economies of Belarus and Uzbekistan complement each other, so there is a need to identify the concrete areas of the cooperation.
According to Naddirkhon Khanon, the two sides intend to sign the document which will fix the plan of the measures related to the bilateral cooperation for the near 7-8 years. For instance, Uzbekistan is interested in cooperation in production of agricultural machinery. “At present, Belarus and Uzbekistan have all the necessary possibilities to discuss the issues regarding the creation of joint ventures in this area,” Naddirkhon Khanon said. Moreover, Uzbekistan would like to discuss the issues regarding the creation of joint ventures in the food and processing industry. Uzbekistan also would like to increase the import of cattle stock in Belarus.
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Information support from the Republican Unitary Enterprise Belarusian News Agency
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