04.03.2021

Your Excellency, 
distinguished President Recep Tayyip Erdogan!

Distinguished heads of state and government!

Distinguished Secretary-General Mr. Soleimanpour!

First of all, allow me to sincerely congratulate all the participants of the Economic Cooperation Organization Summit.

I express my deep gratitude to the distinguished President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his effective presidency in the Organization, despite the conditions of the pandemic, and for organizing the high level forum. 

I express my gratitude to our Turkish friends and personally Mr. Erdogan for a profound support in countering COVID-19 pandemic.

I cordially congratulate distinguished President Gurbanguly Malikguliyevich Berdimuhamedov on Turkmenistan’s taking on the presidency in the Organization.
 
I look forward to our face-to-face meeting at the next summit in the city of Ashkhabad.

Dear participants of the meeting!

The area of the Economic Cooperation Organization is a one region with a common history, religion, culture and values, as well as great potential.

From time immemorial, the mutual respect and trust, trade, transport and communication ties closely link our friendly countries.

Today’s Post-Covid-19 Regional Economic Cooperation Summit has a profound meaning. Since, the pandemic, which has a negative impact on the global economy, has not bypassed our countries. 

It has clearly shown our strengths and weaknesses, how interdependent we are, and the need to further strengthen our economic partnership.

In today’s world of technology and resources, investment, competition for access to foreign markets, it is important to combine our strength and capacities in order to take full advantage of the complementarities of our economies.

Along with this, it should be noted that the existing trade, economic, financial, investment, transport, logistics and energy opportunities in our Organization are not being fully exploited.

Therefore, for further expansion of the multilateral partnership in the «ECO Vision 2025» main directions, I would like to put forward the following proposals.

First, the key driver of economic growth, without a doubt, is strengthening the trade and investment relations.

In recent years, the total trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the member states has doubled. Last year we have managed to maintain these volumes despite the difficult situation.

We believe that it is a high time for the members of the Organization to lift the trade and transport restrictions imposed during the quarantine period.

I think that the widespread adoption of digital technologies and electronic commerce in the industry would greatly facilitate our trade relations.

In this context, we consider it necessary to accelerate the negotiation and adoption of the Agreement on mutual trade that Turkey is pushing forward.

Second, the development of industrial cooperation based on the principle of finding complementary perspectives serves to improve the overall well-being of the population.

We believe that in order to implement this important action plan it is necessary to develop a joint «Road map» that would include the clear directions and projects.

Third, ensuring the free circulation of funds, goods and services between the member states, expanding inter-bank relations and financing are relevant.

To accomplish these tasks, we propose to hold a Banking and Financial Forum in the near future with the participation of the banks of our countries.

Fourth, expansion of the transport corridors of our regions and the increase in transit potential shall accelerate the mutual economic cooperation.

We stand for the development of access corridors to Turkey and European countries, through the «Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Iran – Oman», «Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – China», Azerbaijan routes.

Moreover, the construction of the newly proposed «Mazar-e-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar» railway is of a great importance in the integration of Afghanistan into our wider regions and ensuring sustainable development.

Fifth, we consider it necessary to develop and adopt, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a new Program of our Organization on the Food security.
    
In this regard, we stand ready to hold this year a regular meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization member states’ ministers of agriculture in Uzbekistan. 

Sixth, the development potential of «green economy» is enormous in our region, which is rich in renewable and alternative energy sources.

I propose the development and approval of a Medium-term Strategy to ensure energy stability, investment and broad involvement of the modern technologies to the sector.

Seventh, we are clearly feeling impacts of environmental and global climate change problems in our area, including the Aral Sea region. We must unite all our efforts to find a solution to this problem.

We consider it is expedient to implement effective regional cooperation mechanisms in this direction.

Eighth, cooperation in the field of healthcare needs to be further strengthened.

We propose to introduce a system of monitoring the epidemiological situation and preplanning appropriate measures within the Organization.

 

Distinguished members of the meeting!

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once more that, undoubtedly, by joint efforts, we are able to raise cooperation within the Organization to a new, higher level in the future.

Thank you for your attention.

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