Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Economic cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan is developing dynamically, which is evident by steady increase in the volume of mutual trade, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation told Trend on June 8.
The ministry reminded that trade turnover between the two countries increased by 33.9 percent in 2017 compared to 2016. In January-April 2018, the volume of mutual trade increased by 39.7 percent compared to the same period in 2017.
“Mutual export is increasing, including engineering, metallurgical, chemical, textile, food products and agricultural raw materials. At the same time, cooperation in production of goods and provision of services is developing as well,” the ministry said.
As an example of successful cooperation between the two countries, the ministry mentioned joint ventures for the processing and supply of fruit and vegetable products, production of agricultural machinery, spare parts for the automotive industry, building materials etc.
The ministry, however, declined to comment on the plans of the Uzbek automobile holding Uzavtosanoat to sign a special investment contract to organize assembly of cars on the site of the General Motors plant in St. Petersburg, saying that the matter is in competence of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
The Committee for Industrial Policy and Innovations of Russia’s St. Petersburg earlier told Trend that they have no information about the plans of Uzbek car producer Uzavtosanoat to sign a Special Investment Contract (SPIC) on vehicle assembly at the General Motors (GM) platform in St. Petersburg, a source in the Committee told Trend June 7.
The source noted that previously, however, such possibility was discussed at the level of Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Russian media earlier reported that the GM facility in the Russian city hasn’t been operating since 2015. The Russian ministry offered capacities of the GM factory to Uzavtosanoat.
According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, 1 035 enterprises with participation of Russian capital were operating in the country as of January 1, 2018.
On the other hand, 612 enterprises with participation of residents of Uzbekistan were registered in the territory of the Russian Federation.
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