Belarus-Uzbekistan trade grows sevenfold over five years

Over the past five years, the trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan has increased sevenfold, Belarus' Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Aleksei Bogdanov said at the meeting of the Uzbekistan-Belarus working group on agriculture and food industry in Tashkent, BelTA learned from the BelInterExpo enterprise of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Belarusian delegation took part in a series of events in Tashkent in the run-up to the opening of the UzAgroExpo agricultural exhibition and the UzProdExpo exhibition of food industry and food products, where Belarus will run its national pavilion. Thus, prior to the exhibitions the Uzbekistan-Belarus working group on agriculture and food industry held a meeting, and representatives of exhibiting companies visited retail chains of Uzbekistan.

The second meeting of the Uzbekistan-Belarus working group on agriculture and food industry was attended by head of the Belarusian delegation Aleksei Bogdanov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Anvar Asamov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Uzbekistan Leonid Marinich, representatives of the Belgospishcheprom food industry concern, veterinary and livestock organizations, research centers, agriculture and engineering universities of the two countries, as well as farms.

The participants of the meeting discussed a wide range of matters: cooperation prospects in the agricultural sector, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, education and science, joint efforts to set up and upgrade a dairy complex in Uzbekistan, as well as expectations from participation of the two countries in UzAgroExpo and UzProdExpo.

"Over the past five years, the trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan has grown sevenfold. In January-September 2021, Belarusian food export to Uzbekistan amounted to $61.5 million, up 15.6% year-on-year,” Aleksei Bogdanov said at the meeting.

The meeting resulted in a cooperation agreement on the construction of a dairy complex in Tashkent Region. The parties to the agreement are GomelAgroPromProject and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan. Foreign investments will be raised to implement the project. The two countries are set to cooperate in potato production, training of agriculture specialists and in other areas.

The UzAgroExpo and UzProdExpo exhibitions will be running in Tashkent from 24 to 26 November. Taking part in them will be 17 companies from Belarus that will showcase their new solutions in the food industry, agricultural engineering and science. The achievements and advancements of Belarus and Uzbekistan in the agricultural industry will also be discussed at the Uzbekistan - Belarus agricultural forum to be held on 24 November.

Belarus' exposition at UzAgroExpo and UzProdExpo has been arranged by BelInterExpo with the support and participation of the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus, the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, as well as the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Uzbekistan.