Uzbekistan, Türkiye Forge Ahead in Expanding Trade Ties at Ankara Talks

A delegation from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade, led by the Department of Foreign Trade, has recently engaged in a series of fruitful meetings and negotiations in Türkiye.

The latest round of discussions took place at the Department of International Agreements and Cooperation with the EU within Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade. Central to the talks was the expansion of the list of goods covered under the existing preferential trade agreements between the two countries, The Caspian Post informs via Uzbek media.

Uzbekistan proposed adding 18 new product categories to the current list of 12 items, emphasizing that this update would significantly boost bilateral trade volumes and further deepen economic cooperation between the nations.

In addition, both sides deliberated on increasing quotas for goods already included in the preferential agreements, recognizing that expanded quotas would open new avenues for trade growth.

Looking ahead, the participants considered hosting the next negotiation round in Tashkent and discussed the potential to widen the Preferential Trade Agreement by including more countries.

A key outcome of the visit was an agreement to reinvigorate the Joint Working Group on Trade between Uzbekistan and Türkiye, with plans to hold its second session in the near future.

The Uzbek delegation also participated in the 41st session of the Trade and Economic Cooperation Committee (COMCEC) Working Groups under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The session centered on enhancing collaboration in trade, investment, and industry, while strengthening bilateral and multilateral relationships.

During the session, Uzbekistan introduced a series of initiatives aimed at improving trade efficiency and economic cooperation. These include facilitating mutual trade via simplified customs procedures and digital tools, promoting industrial cooperation and investment partnerships, improving logistics and transport infrastructure, harmonizing halal product standards and certification systems, and exchanging expertise in innovation and e-commerce.

The delegation further held bilateral meetings with representatives from member states and international organizations to explore new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and the implementation of joint projects.