Iran-Uzbekistan annual trade to hit $1b
Uzbek president to visit Tehran today
Iran and Uzbekistan are planning to increase their bilateral trade to $1 billion per annum, according to a report by IRNA.
Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Abbas Aliabadi discussed boosting economic ties with his Uzbek counterpart Laziz Kudratov on Saturday ahead of the visit of the president of Uzbekistan to Tehran.
Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan will visit Iran today.
Mirziyoyev is to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raeisi, and co-chair a high-ranking delegations meeting.
The two sides are also to sign cooperation documents and attend a joint press conference.
Speaking at the meeting of the Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Cooperation Commission on Saturday, Aliabadi announced that talks are underway between Iran and Uzbekistan on a preferential trade agreement (PTA), details of which will be finalized in the coming weeks.
He said a list of items has been provided within the framework of the PTA, and officials of the two countries are going to agree on the provision of the agreement.
The industry minister also said documents on the development of bilateral trade ties will be signed in the presence of the presidents of the two countries.
In the field of customs cooperation, infrastructural rules should be provided, so that the two countries would establish more joint trade activities, Aliabadi emphasized.
Accelerating the provision of these infrastructures can help promote bilateral trade between Iran and Uzbekistan, he concluded.
In the 15th Iran-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, which was held recently in Uzbekistan, Kudratov said very good agreements were reached between the two countries, as one of the most important agreements is the preparation of a road map to reach a trade of $1 billion.
A mechanism is being designed so that we can significantly increase the volume of trade between the two countries in the next one or two years, the Uzbek minister noted.