On November 17 this year, on the eve of the visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation, the II Forum of Interregional Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation was held in Moscow in a hybrid format.

The event brought together more than 800 participants - members of governments, heads of regions, ministries, agencies, industry associations, business associations, representatives of major companies and the private sector of the two countries.

The purpose of the Forum is to create a single platform for establishing and strengthening direct business contacts and practical interaction between the regions of Uzbekistan and Russia.

The event agenda included a plenary session, during which President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh.M.Mirziyoyev and President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin addressed the participants through video messages. Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan S.Umurzakov and Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation M.Reshetnikov also made reports, presenting information on the work done this year to establish ties between the regions of the two countries and the elaboration of joint interregional projects and initiatives.

It was noted that more than 50 mutual visits took place this year; in recent months alone, the leaders of all 14 regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan have visited 42 subjects of the Russian Federation. Such a format of interaction has proven to be an effective way to explore the potential for partnership in a wide range of areas and to develop specific interregional projects and cooperation programs.

Separate thematic sessions were organized as part of the event, during which important topics related to stepping up cooperation between the two countries' regions in economic, social and infrastructural development, introduction of digital technologies, implementation of joint projects in agriculture, increase in mutual trade, expansion of transport links and tourism development were raised.

The heads of the regions of the two countries outlined in detail their vision of further steps toward building tight and long-term partnership, and put forward constructive initiatives and concrete proposals for the implementation of mutually beneficial projects in promising industries. The importance of intensifying joint efforts to create joint high-tech industries, expanding industrial cooperation in a wide range of industries and directions in order to saturate the markets of the two countries with competitive products in demand, as well as developing the markets of third countries was emphasized.

Also on the sidelines of the event, the heads of the administrations of the regions of Russia and Uzbekistan held a number of bilateral meetings and negotiations, during which agreements were reached on the implementation of specific projects and initiatives.

As a result of business meetings and negotiations held on the sidelines of the Forum, about 600 bilateral agreements totaling $9 billion were signed, including 141 investment projects worth $7.4 billion and 455 export contracts worth $1.6 billion. Investment projects will be accompanied by a joint Project Office established between the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. It was also announced that the administrations of the regions of the two countries will start working on 75 new investment projects in promising industries.

The agreements reached covered the wide spectrum of cooperation areas such as metallurgy, energy, chemical, electrical, leather, footwear, textile and pharmaceutical industries, water management, oil and gas industry as well as banking and financial sector.