At a meeting of the joint commission at the level of the heads of government of Russia and Uzbekistan, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the full-fledged participation of Uzbekistan in the EAEU will provide opportunities for the growth of the country’s economy, Trend reports citing Kun.uz.
Mishustin believes that in the format of an observer state, Uzbekistan will be able to “get acquainted in detail with the work of the association, with the procedure for preparing and making decisions that relate to the most important issues of economic cooperation, look at the experience that exists within the union in creating common markets for goods, services, capital and labor without barriers, exemptions and restrictions”, TASS reports.
“I am convinced that full-fledged participation in the EAEU will provide additional opportunities for the growth of the Uzbek economy and tangible advantages for the citizens of Uzbekistan,” Mishustin said.
He called for the development of joint projects between Russia and Uzbekistan, as well as to jointly confront the challenges, including the pandemic. “We are sincerely interested in bringing Russian-Uzbek interaction to an even higher level, first of all, filling it with promising joint projects and initiatives, and, of course, together to confront the challenges that exist today, first of all, this is the coronavirus pandemic”, the PM of the Russian Federation said.
As for bilateral relations, Mishustin recalled the growth of trade turnover between the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan by more than 15% last year, to almost $6 billion. According to Mishustin, within the framework of cooperation between the two countries, agro-logistics complexes are being created in Uzbekistan, as well as wholesale distribution centers in Russia. In addition, it is planned to open transport and logistics corridors.
“We have great opportunities for cooperation in all areas. I believe that it is necessary to seriously expand cooperation in industry, the fuel and energy complex, including the peaceful use of atomic energy, in medicine, in education, in the digital economy, in high technologies,” Mishustin added.
The Russian PM also named one of the leading Russian investors in the economy of Uzbekistan – LUKOIL, which plans to allocate more than $12 billion to joint projects in Uzbekistan, in addition to the $8 billion already invested in the development of energy capacities. Also, according to Mishustin, countries are discussing promising projects in the automotive industry, energy and pharmaceuticals.
“Russia is ready to share practical experience in many areas with Uzbekistan. Joint work to improve the tax administration system is underway. Our common goal is to help make the work of the Uzbek tax authorities more modern and efficient, see what is interesting for colleagues, apply advanced software products and technologies,” Mishustin said.
Mishustin also said that the Russian Federation is ready to share its experience in implementing a pilot project to create a state cadastral valuation, to interact in the field of digital technologies.
The Russian PM recalled that during his previous visits to Moscow, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov personally got acquainted with a number of Russian decisions in the field of tax administration and labeling of goods. “Today, after the meeting, we will present you new developments. We have specially prepared, we are waiting for you. We have something to share and something to work on together. We will be glad if we actively use these opportunities,” he added.