Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Uzbekistan and Ukraine support ensuring mutual access of goods to the markets of the two countries, as well as the formation of predictable trade relations, Trend reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.
The statement was made during the phone conversation between Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv.
Kubiv noted that one of the important tools for establishing a better trade and economic dialogue between Ukraine and Uzbekistan is the restoration of the work of the joint Ukrainian-Uzbek commission of comprehensive cooperation and the earliest possible holding of the next eighth meeting of the commission to jointly discuss the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Aripov, in turn, supported the importance of resuming the work of the commission and assured of the absence of restrictions and the resolution of problematic aspects of the mutual supply of goods to the markets of Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
In early October, an interdepartmental commission in Ukraine launched an anti-subsidy investigation into the import of passenger cars from Uzbekistan on the basis of a complaint by the Ukrainian Automobile Manufacturers Association Ukravtoprom. It noted that the Uzbek manufacturer could receive subsidies from the government of Uzbekistan, which would create unequal conditions for the Ukrainian automakers.
During the investigation, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine provided official explanations, which had been given in the statement of the Ministry of Economic Development.
In turn, Uzbekistan suspended customs clearance of goods from Ukraine without official statement. In particular, it was reported that Uzbekistan has ceased customs-clearing of pharmaceuticals.
In addition, on Dec. 1, the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor stated that sugar and other goods entering Uzbekistan are not unloaded and are not cleared.
As a result, on Dec. 4, Ukraine stopped the anti-subsidy investigation, after which the Ukrainian drugs and pharmaceutical products began to be supplied to Uzbekistan on the same day.
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