Fariddin Nasriyev: ‘Tatarstan is a vivid example of successful cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia’
The countries are interested in bringing the volume of mutual trade to $10 billion
Uzbekistan and Tatarstan are actively promoting partnership in priority sectors of the economy. Recently, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that the trade turnover between the parties increased by 47% in January-September 2022. The Consul General of Uzbekistan in Kazan, Fariddin Nasriyev, told Realnoe Vremya about the prospects for cooperation between the republics and the successes already achieved.
“A large Tatar diaspora lives in Uzbekistan”
In early December, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov visited Uzbekistan for the third time in a year. The reason for the visit this time was participation in the plenary session of the Russian-Uzbek business forum, which was held in Samarkand. According to the results of the previous year, the trade turnover of Uzbekistan and Tatarstan exceeded $193 million. For 9 months of this year, there was an increase of 47%, said Rustam Minnikhanov.
“Tatarstan is a striking example of successful cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia at the interregional level. In 2022, two meetings were held between the President of Uzbekistan, Mr. Sh.M. Mirziyoyev, and the President of Tatarstan, Mr. R.N. Minnikhanov," Fariddin Nasriyev said in a conversation with Realnoe Vremya.
First of all, Nasriyev stressed the development of humanitarian and educational cooperation. A striking example of this is the recently opened first foreign branch of the Kazan Federal Universiyt in Jizzakh.
“It is worth noting that more than 3 thousand of our students study in Tatarstan, Uzbek Cinema Days are held annually in Kazan, the Nowruz holiday is widely celebrated. In turn, a large Tatar diaspora lives in Uzbekistan — more than 320 thousand Tatars live in peace and harmony on the territory of our republic. Everyone in Uzbekistan has fallen in love with Sabantuy," he noted.
The range of joint tasks does not end there. In the future, it is planned to deepen the promotion of projects in the field of mechanical engineering, chemical industry and oil refining — these are especially promising areas. Besides, the interlocutor of Realnoe Vremya highlighted the IT sector.
At the moment, it is already possible to notice a mutually beneficial result at the level of leading companies and enterprises in the IT field. Nasriyev recalled that 16 investment projects are being implemented in the Tashkent region in the joint technopark Chirchik.
Summing up the topic, the Consul General expressed hope that such fruitful cooperation will continue to contribute to the development of Russian-Uzbek relations.
Over the past 5 years, the trade turnover between Russia and Uzbekistan has increased by 170%
Fariddin Nasriyev also touched upon the topic of cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan. As he told our publication, only in the last 5 years the trade turnover between the countries has increased by 170%. Moreover, by the end of 2021, it increased by another third, thereby reaching and exceeding the figure of $7,5 billion.
“Today, cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia is actively developing on the basis of the principles of openness, mutual trust and support, respect for each other's interests," he stressed.
Partnership in the field of industrial cooperation is also actively promoted. Since 2017, the number of enterprises created with the participation of Russian capital in Uzbekistan has tripled and exceeded 3 thousand units.
The amount of projects implemented jointly with Russian companies is $20 billion, the Consul General noted. Successful areas of implementation are petrochemicals, energy, pharmaceuticals, light industry, production of building materials, and processing of fruit and vegetable products.
According to Nasriyev, both sides are interested in increasing trade turnover and developing cooperation. The next goal in the field of mutual trade is the volume of $10 billion.