A delegation of Uzbekistan participates in the 17th CAREC Ministerial Conference
20/11/2018 18:46
A delegation of Uzbekistan participates in the 17th CAREC Ministerial Conference
20/11/2018 18:46
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 15 November 2018, a delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan led by Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khodjaev took part in the 17th annual meeting of the Ministerial Conference of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) on “Trade is the engine of growth and economic diversification”, which took place in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).
During the event, the appeal of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the participants of the conference was read out. President of the Asian Development Bank Takehiko Nakao also made a welcoming speech.
The conference brought together more than 150 representatives from CAREC countries, as well as representatives from a number of partner multilateral institutions, such as ADB, IMF, World Bank, EBRD, UNDP, and the United Nations. the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the World Trade Organization, etc.
The overall objective of this program is to assist the CAREC countries in further integrating into the global economy by increasing trade, expanding access to markets, greater diversification and strengthening institutions for trade.
Building on the real results of CAREC in promoting economic cooperation and financing projects worth more than US$30 billion, including trade work, it was emphasized that CAREC will serve as a catalyst for trade expansion and economic diversification in the region.
It is gratifying to note that trade with CAREC member countries is growing at an accelerated pace. Over the three quarters of this year, the volume of mutual trade between Uzbekistan and Pakistan and Mongolia more than doubled, with Tajikistan and Azerbaijan increased by almost 60%, with Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic - more than 45%, with China - about 30%, with Turkmenistan - 17%, and with Afghanistan - by 11%, Minister of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khojaev emphasized in his speech. - In this regard, we believe that our joint efforts should be focused primarily on mutual trade facilitation, mutual elimination of various trade barriers, both technical and sanitary, and phytosanitary, which often become irresistible and their removal requires significant forces, means and time.
The minister also said that Uzbekistan is committed to further trade liberalization and stimulating the openness of markets.
Trade priorities also include the assessment and identification of new opportunities in the context of the changing conditions of global and regional trade, the expansion of trade in services and the promotion of e-commerce and tourism services, the development of strategies to promote trade.
The conference also supported creation of a regional trade group to discuss and jointly consider closely related trade policy and trade facilitation issues. In addition, participants expressed their wishes that, under this agenda, CAREC will continue to support member countries in the WTO accession process.
It is worth noting that according to the alphabetical order of the CAREC member countries, the parties proposed to organize and hold in 2019 the next ministerial conference in Tashkent.
Conference participants expressed confidence that these events will be organized at a high level and representatives of the CAREC participating countries and international partners will open up a modern, dynamically developing Uzbekistan in a new way.
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