MINSK, 20 June (BelTA) – Belarus and Uzbekistan have potential to expand bilateral trade, Belarus' Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said as he met with Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, BelTA has learned.
The parties confirmed mutual interest in intensifying bilateral cooperation. Roman Golovchenko pointed to positive dynamics in almost all areas. “This is very important, especially now that our country is going through a difficult period. Belarus has found itself on the receiving end of massive political and economic pressure on the part of the collective West. We are handling these challenges, including with the support of our traditional partners, with whom we are developing sustainable trade and economic ties. In this situation we highly appreciate Uzbekistan's commitment to partnership and full-fledged cooperation,” Roman Golovchenko said.
The bilateral trade remains on the growth track. According to Belarus' prime minister, the two countries have everything in place to keep increasing it.
“We expect that the high-level meeting that will take place during the visit of the Belarusian president to Uzbekistan for the SCO summit in September 2022 will give an additional impetus to bilateral relations,” Roman Golovchenko added. In order to prepare for this meeting, he suggested holding a meeting of the intergovernmental commission in July.
In 2021, the trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan amounted to $301.9 million, up by 7.8% over 2020; the export was estimated at $245.4 million, up by 3.3%. Belarus posted a trade surplus of $188.9 million. Belarus' major exports in 2021 were specific goods, meat and meat products, medicines, vinyl chloride polymers, milk powder, diagnostic reagents. Belarus' major imports from Uzbekistan were cotton yarn, fresh and dried fruits, specific products, rolled copper, bed linen.
In January - April 2022, the bilateral trade amounted to $121.2 million, up by 32.5% year-on-year. The export stood at $92.6 million, up by 17.7%.
Uzbekistan is home to 103 organizations founded by residents of Belarus, as well as offices of Autopromsnab-Spedition, Softclub, AmantisMed and BelVitunipharm.
A factory to assemble Belarusian machinery – AMKODOR-AGROTEXMASH - was set up by Amkodor. MAZ and KRANTAS GROUP, as well as MTZ and UZAVTOSANOAT keep cooperating in the field of vehicle and tractor production.
The Marko company is implementing a joint project to produce footwear in Uzbekistan. Svetlogorsk Plant of Welding Electrodes is running an investment project through the company MONOLITH ASIA it launched in Tashkent. A number of joint pharmaceutics projects are also running in Uzbekistan.
