On July 29 this year, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Umurzakov negotiated with members of the Great National Assembly of the Turkish Republic J. Yilmaz and L. Elvan during the visit of the Government Delegation of Uzbekistan to Turkey.

The negotiations considered the progress in the cooperation to attract leading Turkish experts and consultants in order to ensure the comprehensive social and economic development of Uzbekistan. The parties noted that there is a practical cooperation in this area: in June, former vice-president of Turkish Airlines O. Sivrikaya, a world-class expert in civil aviation was involved as a consultant to further improve the operation of Uzbekistan Airways national airline company, where he currently holds the post of Deputy Chairman of the Board. The Turkish side assisted Uzbekistan in opening the branch of the Turkish University of Economics and Technology (TOBB), which admits students already in this year.

The parties also discussed prospects to further expand cooperation to enhance the development of a number of priority sectors of Uzbek economy, i.e. construction, agriculture, energy, textiles and manufacture of construction materials.

They emphasized the potential of study and application of Turkish experience in institutional reforms, consistent improvement of the investment climate, introduction of effective mechanisms to attract major foreign investors, and anticorruption efforts. Here, the parties identified certain areas for further joint work, including evaluation of the impact of changes in legislation on the investment climate of the Republic, optimization of technical regulations and processes in the construction sector, as well as practical measures to improve Uzbekistan's position in international ratings.

The parties agreed to involve Turkish experts to create an electronic crowdsourcing platform in Uzbekistan. The platform will enable foreign and domestic entrepreneurs implementing projects in the Republic to report on emerging problems online, and the relevant state authorities to promptly respond to incoming requests.

Moreover, they considered opportunities for interaction to implement a number of investment projects involving Turkish and Uzbek companies and attracting new potential investors in such areas as agriculture, textile, leather, footwear and automotive industries, manufacture of construction materials.

The parties also agreed to organize advanced training programs and field training for employees of Uzbekistan's state authorities.