MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava met with Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Rakhimov, who is visiting Georgia within a working visit of the Uzbek Government Delegation to Georgia.

Bilateral economic relations and priority areas for future cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

According to Natia Turnava, Georgia and Uzbekistan are stable trade partners. Turnava noted that in 2021, the reduced trade turnover of 2020 caused by the pandemic, is characterized by increasing dynamics. In particular, in January-April of 2021, the trade turnover between the two countries was increased by 10% totalling to 31,5 million USD. There was also an increasing dynamics in the case of exports - during the reporting period, exports was increased by 13%.

It was noted that the increase in exports was positively reflected in the decision of the Uzbek Government to lift the excise tax on agricultural products, which affected 73 products exported from Georgia, including mineral waters, fruit juices, non-alcoholic carbonated beverages.

Particular attention was paid to the establishment of a working group on trade and economic cooperation and the possibility of joint investments in transport and logistics infrastructure, as well as the launching of new transport routes between Europe and Asia via Georgia and Uzbekistan.

The parties also stressed the importance of deepening cooperation in the sectors of tourism and civil aviation.
Deputy Ministers of Economy and Sustainable Development Genadi Arveladze and Guram Guramishvili, as well as the Ambassador of Georgia to Uzbekistan Zurab Abdushelishvili also attended the meeting.