TEHRAN (Iran News) – Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments Sardor Umurzakov addressing the Iran-Uzbekistan Business Forum on Monday said that the trade volume between Iran and Uzbekistan was doubled in 2021 and this figure is not enough as the two countries can increase it to $1b and Tashkent welcomes it.
Umurzakov pointed to the cultural and social commonalities of Iran and Uzbekistan which makes cooperation between the two countries easy. He added that last year the trade between the two countries was doubled and exceeded $450b as there are more capacities to increase it to $1b.
He went on to say that both countries can cooperate on producing joint products, adding that soon they will finalize the preferential trade agreement. He said expansion of transportation and transit of goods are of major programs of Uzbekistan which can help the trade between Iran and Uzbekistan to increase.
Umurzakov added that some 347 Iranian companies are now active in Uzbekistan and are busy in different fields. He reiterated that Iran and Uzbekistan are not rivals but their economies are complementary and for this reason they can cooperate on joint productions.
He noted that soon an Uzbek delegation led by Uzbekistan Innovative DevelopmentMinister will visit Tehran for talks on the mutual interested fields.
He said Iran and Uzbekistan can work together in the field of pharmaceutical projects as Iran has achieved considerable progress in this field. He reiterated that Iranian pharmaceutical companies can also invest or produce in six special trade zones of Uzbekistan and enjoy the facilities of the zones.
Umurzakov went on to say that agriculture and construction materials are of the other fields that Iran and Uzbekistan can cooperate.
In the forum, Vice-President on Economic Affairs Mohsen Rezaee also said that the current government is focused on expanding cooperation with neighbor states and hailed Uzbekistan for recent decisions to boost all-out ties with Tehran and said Tehran and Tashkent can connect 800m people in two regions. He said the government is working hard on easing trade and investment which will accelerate the foreign trade and investment.
Earlier in the forum, Head of Iran’s chamber of commerce Gholam-Hossein Shafei reiterated that cooperation with Uzbekistan is very important for Iran, adding that recent developments in Uzbekistan have encouraged Iranians for trade in Uzbekistan.
He added that commonalities between the two countries have given a special status to Uzbekistan among Iranians.
He went on to say that Iran’s geopolitical position has made the country be center of attraction in the region.
He then pointed to some fields for cooperation between Iran and Uzbekistan and called for resolving banking problems, removal of tariffs and resolving transportation and transit problems which are the major hurdles in way of boosting trade between Iran and Uzbekistan.
He added that Iran’s chamber this year set up the Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Chamber to facilitate the trade between the two countries and asked Uzbekistan to launch the same chamber in Tashkent to ease trade and to resolve problems of traders in case of trade.
The high-level Uzbek economic delegations began their talks on Sunday evening in Tehran.
A memorandum of understanding of the Joint Commission in the economy, investment, customs, transportation, energy, health, science and technology, culture, tourism, and agriculture was signed.
At the beginning of the summit, Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Fatemi Amin and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Umurzakov stressed the need to expand comprehensive cooperation.
Uzbekistan is one of the most crucial target countries for Iran’s exports, and exports to the country have been growing in recent months.
Meanwhile Umurzakov in meeting with Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari emphasized his country’s readiness to develop technological cooperation with Iran.
Appreciating Iran’s achievements in the field of technology, innovation and development of knowledge-based companies, He said that there is a very good opportunity for technological cooperation between the two countries and Uzbekistan are ready to interact with Iran in this field.
Referring to the establishment of the Uzbek Ministry of Innovative Development, he said that the Ministry is ready to cooperate with Iran in the field of technology.
Saying that Iran’s experience can lead to the development of Uzbekistan’s science and technology parks and companies and start-ups, he added that Iran and Uzbekistan can even produce joint products.
He also pointed to the creation of a roadmap on forming extensive cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and technology and suggested that an Uzbek delegation consisting of businesses and technology activists visit Iran to review all areas of the cooperation and create a roadmap in this regard.
He also invited the Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sattari to his country to attend Tashkent International Investment Forum.
