Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Meeting of Co-Chairs of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, First Vice-Premier of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin and First Deputy Premier of Uzbekistan Achilbay Ramatov was held in Tashkent on May 4, the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry stated.
During the meeting, the sides emphasized that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are carrying out trade, economic and investment cooperation on systematic basis.
Joint trading houses have been opened in the recent years and are successfully operating in main spheres of economy, such as agriculture, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and machinery.
Variety of goods traded has been increased significantly with agreements on realization of large-scale infrastructure projects being achieved and implemented.
The sides agreed on holding regular meetings of the workgroup on preparing proposals on increase of the mutual trade turnover between the two countries.
Mamin underlined positive effect of the Uzbekistan’s excise policy reform on boosting bilateral trade and proposed considering possibility of further lowering excise taxes on import of Kazakhstan’s priority export articles.
The sides also agreed to carry on work on increasing trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan by ensuring Uzbek gas export to Southern Kazakhstan in winter-spring period and by realizing transit of Kazakh gas through territory of Uzbekistan.
The Kazakh side initiated discussions concerning creation of the ‘Central Asia’ International Center of Border Cooperation on Kazakh-Uzbek border. Implementation of the project will require corresponding infrastructure on territory of both countries.
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation is holding a special place in bilateral relations of the two countries.
The sides decided to establish a joint workgroup to mutually recognize visa regimes of the two countries for tourists of other states, crossing the Kazakh-Uzbek border with aim to visit tourism objects located on Great Silk Road route, as well as to jointly promote tourism capacities of the two countries.
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