Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan to mutually strengthen trade through operational and large-scale projects
On the eve of the 20th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjayev discussed the implementation of projects on joint roadmaps.
The parties noted with satisfaction that thanks to close cooperation, the projects are moving in accordance with the established deadlines. One of the points of the document signed by the two countries following the meeting of the heads of state in December last year has already been implemented: a joint venture UZKAZTRADE has been created. The foreign trade company will be able to promptly solve the issues of organizing system deliveries of the substituted products. An agreement has already been reached with Uzbek farmers on wholesale supplies of fruit and vegetable products to Kazakhstan, negotiations are underway on forward purchases of a new crop for the next winter-spring period.
Serik Zhumangarin and Jamshid Khodjaev discussed a large–scale and strategically important point of Dorkarta - the creation of the International Center for Industrial Cooperation «Central Asia» (ICBC) on the border of the two countries. The specialization of the ICBC involves deep processing of raw materials and the formation of added value with high conversion. These are primarily projects for the deep processing of grain and the production of vegetable oil. The Akimat of the Turkestan region has already formed a list of 63 investment projects for placement in the ICBC in the textile, food, pharmaceutical, machine-building and other fields. The parties agreed to determine the coordinates of the project for signing the relevant agreement during the upcoming intergovernmental commission.
During the working meeting, Serik Zhumangarin raised the issue of providing discounts for the transportation of Kazakhstani goods by rail imported to Uzbekistan. The analysis of tariffs carried out by JSC NC «KTZ» shows a significant imbalance in the prices of the two countries for the transportation of the same types of cargo. For example, the domestic tariff of Kazakhstan for the transportation of wood is 6 times lower than on the Uzbek railway, gasoline, diesel fuel – 3.5 times, crude oil – 1.6 times, coal – 6 times. The second point is discounts on the tariff for transit through Uzbekistan for cargo transportation to Afghanistan. In turn, the Uzbek side made a number of proposals, which the participants agreed to discuss at the next meeting.
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