Uzbekistan has significantly increased its trade turnover with the countries of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) in the first three quarters of 2018, Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khojayev declared.
“It is good to see that trade with CAREC member countries is growing at an accelerated pace. In the three quarters of this year, Uzbekistan’s bilateral trade with Pakistan and Mongolia doubled, with Tajikistan and Azerbaijan increased – by almost 60%, with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – by over 45%, with China – by about 30%, with Turkmenistan – by 17%, and with Afghanistan – by 11%,” Khojayev said during the CAREC Ministerial conference in Ashgabat.
In this regard, he noted, the joint efforts of countries should be focused primarily on mutual trade facilitation, elimination of various trade barriers, both technical and sanitary, phytosanitary, which often became insurmountable and their removal required considerable effort, money and time.
The minister also added that Uzbekistan was committed to further liberalization of trade and promotion of open markets. (Trend/Business World Magazine)