BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 4. Uzbekistan has proposed the creation of a joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Central Asia and the European Union with active involvement of the private sector, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said during the first Central Asia-European Union summit in Samarkand, Trend reports.
“We also count on the support of European partners in a new initiative - launching an investment platform to promote major regional projects in areas such as green energy, innovation, transportation, infrastructure, and agriculture,” he said.
The idea of concluding a multilateral Agreement on investment protection and promotion, the adoption of a joint regional program to support small and medium-sized businesses, including for women entrepreneurs, were also among the new proposals.
"In early June, we will hold an Investment Forum in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Tashkent. As part of this event, we intend to present the current portfolio of projects with leading European companies and banks, the total value of which exceeds 30 billion euros," Mirziyoyev noted.
He emphasized that today all major businessmen, industry and innovation leaders of Europe are successfully working in Uzbekistan and other countries of the region. Among them are such corporations as Total, Siemens, Linde, Airbus, ADF and many others.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev also expressed confidence that the previously signed agreement on the establishment of the European Investment Bank's office in Tashkent will stimulate the inflow of direct investments from the EU countries to Central Asia.
“We are ready to host the next Economic Forum and Investors Forum on transport connectivity in Uzbekistan,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed.
The President also underlined the importance of expanding technical assistance from the European Union to increase the capacity of exporters, create laboratories and centers for standardization and certification.