Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Jan. 21 / Trend D. Azizov /
A meeting was held with French Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador François Gauthier at the Uzbek Foreign Ministry on Friday, the ministry said. The sides discussed the issues of cooperation between the two countries in 2012 and further prospect.
France is one of the most important economic partners of Uzbekistan in the western world. The bilateral agreements on avoidance of double taxation and preventing the evasion of taxes on income and on capital, the promotion and mutual protection of investments, cooperation in economy, science and technology, culture, and air transport are the legal basis of developing the mutual relations.
Uzbekistan is interested in attracting foreign, including the French investments in the fuel-energy complex, chemical industry, agriculture, tourism, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and food industries.
According to the Uzbek State Statistics Committee, Uzbek-French bilateral trade increased by 2.1 times to $283 million in January - September 2011 compared to the same period of 2010.
About 17 joint ventures with French capital, and two companies with full French capital operate in Uzbekistan.
About 15 French firms and companies were accredited at the Uzbek Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade.