The President of Uzbekistan outlined the priorities for further development of cooperation within the ECO

On July 4, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in the city of Khankendi, the press service of the head of our state reports.

The event, chaired by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, was also attended by President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Secretary General of the ECO Asad Majid Khan, as well as heads of delegations of a number of other states and regional organizations.

The prospects for further development of multifaceted cooperation within the ECO were considered, and an exchange of views on current international and regional issues took place.

At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan noted modern challenges to security and sustainable development.

The leader of Uzbekistan once again emphasized the importance of resolving conflicts and disputes through diplomacy and constructive negotiations.

At the same time, it was emphasized that achieving peace and stability in the Middle East is impossible without a fair resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Moving on to the agenda of the meeting, the President of Uzbekistan drew attention to a number of topical issues.

First of all, in order to advance the Organization’s development priorities in the medium and long term, the importance of adopting the concept of ‘‘Strategic Goals of Economic Partnership – 2035’’ was noted. In the document, along with traditional areas of interaction, special attention should be paid to strengthening cooperation in the areas of innovation, artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

The issues of simplifying trade in goods and services, the gradual elimination of technical and non-tariff barriers, and the development of e-commerce remain particularly relevant.

It was proposed to hold a meeting of trade ministers in Tashkent this year to discuss strategic issues in this area and adopt the Agreement on Trade Facilitation.

The head of state also initiated the creation of a system of ‘‘green corridors’’ for the prompt exchange of information on trade in agricultural products and their unimpeded supply.

The importance of adopting the long-term Ecoinvest program was noted for bringing investment cooperation to a new level, creating a more transparent and attractive investment environment.

– The main goal of the program should be the broad involvement of private investors, banks and international financial institutions in promising projects in our region, – the leader of Uzbekistan emphasized.

The formation of alternative transport corridors is designated as a strategic priority in the current geopolitical conditions. It was noted that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, which in the future may be linked to the promising Trans-Afghan Corridor, will effectively connect transit networks in a vast region.

The head of our state also proposed to speed up the creation of the Digital Transport and Customs Authority in order to establish systemic work on the digitalization of the transport and logistics sector.

– Our current tasks are to open new air routes in the region, introduce innovative formats of cooperation between airlines, and develop integrated marketing strategies in the fields of tourism and aviation, – the head of Uzbekistan said.

In order to discuss these issues, it was proposed to organize a forum of national airlines in Samarkand this year.

It was noted that there is great potential for doubling the tourist flow. The adoption of a “road map” for expanding tourism services within the Organization will facilitate the achievement of this goal.

Noting the importance of combining efforts on the global climate agenda, the President initiated the development of a cross-border “green program” to create forests and recreational areas in desert areas.

Positively assessing the work of the High-Level Committee, the leader of Uzbekistan proposed to instruct to prepare specific recommendations for improving the activities of the ECO before the next summit.

– The reforms will serve to develop our cooperation at a new level, further strengthening the authority of the Organization in the international arena, – the President noted.

In conclusion of his speech, the head of our state expressed confidence that the current summit will give a powerful impetus and open a new stage in multifaceted practical cooperation within the framework of the Economic Cooperation Organization.