On July 28 this year, Ankara hosted a meeting of the Government Delegation of Uzbekistan headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Umurzakov with Vice President of the Republic of Turkey F. Oktay and the top officials of the of key ministries and departments of Turkey.

The meeting provided the discussion on interaction to minimize the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of economic relations between the two countries, as well as the prospects to expand cooperation between Uzbekistan and Turkey in investment, trade, transport and logistics.

During negotiations, the parties mutually noted that despite the negative impact of the pandemic on international economic relations, Uzbekistan and Turkey continue active implementation of common agreements and tasks identified by the heads of the two states.

The head of the Uzbek Delegation expressed gratitude to the Government of Turkey for timely practical assistance to Uzbekistan in the fight against coronavirus infection through the supply of medical equipment and artificial respirating units, as well as organization of a visit of experts and professors from Turkish medical institutions.

Since the Republic takes additional measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection among the population, the participants considered possible organization of subsequent visits of Turkish doctors to Uzbekistan to advice on assistance to the population, as well as to assist in management of medical institutions.

Also, the participants exchanged their views on the completion of the ratification procedures for a number of intergovernmental agreements between Uzbekistan and Turkey in the commerce and economy. They noted that the close bilateral interagency coordination provided the commencement of the Agreement on Mutual Encouragement and Protection of Investments, the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation, as well as the Agreement on International Combined Transport of Goods and the Agreement on the International Carriage of Passengers and Goods. The generated contractual platform will provide required legal framework and conditions for bringing the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries to a qualitatively new level with a view to the dynamic increase in mutual investment and trade between the two countries.

Here, the participants agreed to intensify interaction under the joint development of the draft Agreement on Preferential Trade and to complete the coordination as soon as possible.

A particular attention was paid to the transportation and logistics cooperation. The sustainable growth in the volume of cargo transportation along the transport corridors connecting Uzbekistan and Turkey requires consideration of the creation of a system of accelerated customs clearance 'Green Line' along these corridors, which will provide mechanisms for preliminary declaration of goods and electronic exchange of information between immigration, quarantine and transport authorities of the countries concerned.­ The parties decided to create a special joint working group including representatives of foreign trade, customs and transport authorities assigned to elaborate practical tasks under the initiative specified.

The meeting considered the progress in the Action Plan for Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Turkey approved during a high-level visit in February this year.

It was decided to accelerate implementation of all the point of the Plan through close coordination of the relevant ministries and departments of the two countries.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to hold the meeting of the Intergovernmental Joint Economic Commission by the end of this year in Tashkent.