BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 17
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
The Netherlands sees opportunities for further strengthening economic ties with Uzbekistan, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands told Trend.
According to the ministry, the Netherlands has limited but constructive bilateral trade relations with Uzbekistan, focusing mainly on the agricultural sector.
“The Netherlands is the second exporter of agricultural products worldwide and has a lot of expertise to share. The country is also a major player in areas like water and energy,” the ministry stressed.
Over the past years, the Uzbek government has focused on reforming the economy, strengthening the rule of law, and attracting more foreign direct investment.
“We follow these developments with great interest and see opportunities for further strengthened economic ties. That is also the reason to conduct market research into the sectors of healthcare, infrastructure, and circular economy,” added the ministry.
According to the information, together with the Uzbek government, knowledge and research institutes, the private sector, and with the support of the international financial organizations, the Netherlands contributes to the further development of the horticultural and livestock sectors in Uzbekistan.
The proof for this interest can be the Netherlands Agricultural Trade Missions to Uzbekistan organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, which took place in Tashkent, Namangan, and Samarkand from 2018 to 2020.
In addition, in April 2021 the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan has signed an investment agreement with the Dutch Stone City Energy company for the construction of a new thermal power plant (TPP) in the Surkhandarya region.
According to the information, the cost of the project for the construction of a TPP with a capacity of 1,560 MW accounts for $1.2 billion. The project launch date is the end of 2024.
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