Ukrainian newspaper website reported on November 13，The first Central Asian Trade and Investment Ministers' Meeting was held in Tashkent, with Azerbaijan as an invited participant. Participants reached a consensus to increase trade among Central Asian countries to $20 billion and jointly develop the "Made in Central Asia" regional brand to enhance the international competitiveness and reputation of Central Asian products.
In his opening remarks, Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Kudratov, stated that Central Asian countries have strong economic complementarity and enormous regional trade potential. He proposed a joint action plan to optimize trade facilitation through measures such as harmonizing customs procedures, promoting electronic document transfer, achieving mutual recognition of licenses, and establishing "one-stop" border windows. He also suggested establishing a regional electronic goods and manufacturers directory, integrating the digital platforms of chambers of commerce and export agencies from various countries to reduce intermediaries in business cooperation, and planning to hold the "Central Asia-Azerbaijan Investment Forum" in Samarkand in 2026 to provide a platform for showcasing the regional brand.
Representatives from various countries responded positively to the cooperation initiatives: Kazakhstan's Minister of Trade and Integration, Shakkaliev, called for a shift from a "buy-sell" model to integrated "investment-production-sales" cooperation, and proposed signing an industrial cooperation development plan with Uzbekistan; Tajikistan's Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Zhavkizoda, emphasized the importance of digitalization, sharing the successful practices of AI company Zypl.ai and fintech company Alif; Turkmenistan's Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Aghanov, stated that he would participate in the working group on simplifying trade procedures and developing electronic platforms; Kyrgyzstan's Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Chotonov, proposed that this meeting should become an important platform for regional economic coordination and decision-making; and Azerbaijan's First Deputy Minister of Economy, Aliyev, revealed that in the first nine months of this year, Azerbaijan's trade with Central Asian countries exceeded US$1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 58%, and expressed willingness to work together to promote the construction of transportation and logistics infrastructure.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a joint communiqué, clarifying that all parties will continue to promote pragmatic cooperation in areas such as deepening economic cooperation, developing industrial collaboration, and improving investment mechanisms, jointly activating the momentum of regional economic development.
Forwarded from Luqiao Circle