Uzbekistan and Ukraine have initiated preparations to revive the work of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. According to Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Mishchenko following his visit to Tashkent, the sides have already begun shaping the agenda and plan to hold a meeting within the year.
Mishchenko stated: "We are working to create conditions for resuming the activity of the intergovernmental commission, which has not met for over a decade. We estimate that 7-8 months will be sufficient to prepare the groundwork. If we reach an agreement on a discussable agenda, we will hold a meeting at the level of economy ministers." He added: "I think that in about 3-4 months we will be able to talk with you on more specific topics."
The Ukrainian delegation also held a meeting at the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade in Tashkent. Discussions covered cooperation areas such as pharmaceuticals, the agro-industrial complex, machinery, and automotive manufacturing. Mishchenko noted that the Ukrainian side has already begun work with business circles: "I came (almost simultaneously) with the business delegation brought by the Federation of Employers of Ukraine; they held several meetings here before my visit."
The sides are considering a broader economic agenda, including the participation of Uzbek companies in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. Mishchenko explained Ukraine's current situation: "COVID and the full-scale war certainly left their mark (on economic activity). Ukraine in the first years of the war mobilized all resources and simply survived under very difficult conditions... Now the situation at the front is completely different because now we are being given exactly what is needed." He highlighted a qualitative shift in support.
The Ukrainian delegation invited Uzbek representatives to participate in the international conference on Ukraine's recovery scheduled for June in Gdańsk, Poland. Mishchenko said: "The interests of Uzbek companies in construction, processing, consulting, and other sectors could be represented there… because after a just peace is established in Ukraine, a major construction boom will begin, all industries will be restored. And you have accumulated rich experience in many fields, including construction."
It is recalled that the last meeting of the Uzbekistan-Ukraine intergovernmental commission was held in 2007. In May 2021, the first political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries in over a decade took place in Tashkent, after which the sides began planning a new commission meeting, but the activity of contacts declined with the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Source: www.gazeta.uz