President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, signed agreements totaling $ 10 billion.
The ceremonial meeting of the President of Uzbekistan with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi took place in the palace of Qasr al-Watan, after which a round of negotiations was held between the delegations of the two countries on a wide range of issues.
During the meeting, Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality, noted the community of religious and spiritual values of the two countries, which serves as the basis for the development of bilateral cooperation in the spirit of mutual trust and respect. The head of Uzbekistan emphasized that the United Arab Emirates for fifty years, short by historical standards, created a “miracle” in the desert, becoming one of the world centers of economy, innovation, trade, finance and tourism, and noted Uzbekistan’s interest in cooperation and exchange of experience in these areas.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in turn, praised the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan to liberalize the economy, improve the investment climate and strengthen the country's international authority.
Recall that diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and the UAE were established on October 25, 1992. For the first time in the history of bilateral relations, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Arab Emirates has recently been appointed.
Today in Uzbekistan there are more than a hundred enterprises with investments from the United Arab Emirates, 28 representative offices of firms and companies engaged in the production of textiles, building materials, canned fruit, printing, wholesale, and the provision of services have been opened.
In 2018, trade between countries amounted to almost $ 400 million. The head of Uzbekistan noted that this indicator increased compared to previous years, however, given the potential of the parties, it is insufficient. In this regard, the negotiations discussed the comprehensive expansion of bilateral cooperation, strengthening practical cooperation in trade, economic, investment, innovation, banking, financial, cultural and humanitarian and other fields.
The results of the third meeting of the Uzbek-Emirate Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation held on March 12 this year in Tashkent were positively evaluated. The intergovernmental commission has been tasked with bringing the volume of mutual trade to $ 1 billion in the coming years, increasing the supply of goods, and implementing joint projects for processing raw materials and manufacturing value-added products.
There is great potential for cooperation in the field of tourism. Great tourist interest among the inhabitants of the United Arab Emirates is caused by the mausoleums of great ancestors and the nature of Uzbekistan. Last year, the number of tourists from the UAE who visited our country increased by 1.5 times.
In accordance with a recent decree of the President of Uzbekistan, a visa-free regime for UAE citizens has been introduced. At the talks, it was noted that this will contribute not only to the development of tourism, but also to further enhance trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between our countries.
After expanded negotiations, an exchange ceremony of signed bilateral documents took place. In particular, a joint statement was adopted between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the parties exchanged signed documents on cooperation in the fields of investment, finance, alternative energy, industrial and infrastructural development, agriculture, and customs administration. It is reported that in general, within the framework of the visit, agreements were reached for a total amount of more than $ 10 billion.
