UK and USA will jointly support small businesses in Uzbekistan

The British Embassy and the US Agency for International Development will jointly support small businesses in Uzbekistan in the field of agriculture and textile production, “Gazeta.Uz” reports. This is the first agreement of this kind between the parties.

The British Embassy in Tashkent and the mission of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Friday signed a partnership agreement to work together on projects aimed at supporting small businesses in Uzbekistan in the agricultural and textile industries. The document was signed by British Ambassador Tim Thorlow and USAID Mission Director Michaela Meredith.

According to the press service of the British Embassy, this is the first partnership agreement between the parties, which should help more Uzbek exporters to maximize the benefits of the UK Trade Scheme for Developing Countries (formerly known as the Generalized System of Preferences – GSP). Uzbekistan was the first country in the world admitted to the UK Preferential Trade Scheme, which allows exporting 91% of goods from Uzbekistan to the UK at zero tariff rate.

The project, funded by the grant of UK government, is aimed at increasing the export of agricultural and textile products to the UK, the European Union and other countries. It will include capacity building and training activities in Samarkand, Bukhara, Namangan, Syr Darya and Karakalpakstan, including training women in digitizing embroidery patterns and supporting them in finding buyers to sell embroidered textiles.

As part of the project, local farmers and agricultural companies will also be trained in the environmentally sound use of pesticides and fertilizers, production and post-harvest handling methods, as well as food safety and certification. They will be supported in increasing sales and entering new export markets.

In addition, the project aims to support the export of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables certified internationally.