26.12.2023 Ankara
Türkiye-Uzbekistan Business Forum was held at TOBB Twin Towers in cooperation with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) and Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK).
In his speech here,
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Uzbekistan is the land where
Turkic culture and science developed.
Explaining that
scientists such as Biruni, Ulug Bey, Ibn-i Sina, Harezmi, Ali Kusçu, who
enlightened the world and expanded the horizons of humanity, were raised in
Uzbekistan, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Our spiritual leaders such as Imam Bukhari,
Imam Maturidi, Imam Tirmizi are the gifts of this place, of these lands. Their
legacy continues to enlighten not only Uzbekistan but also Anatolia. Tashkent
and Ankara, Samarkand and Konya, Bukhara and Bursa, Khiva and Edirne have been
breathing this spiritual air for centuries. Therefore, Uzbekistan and Türkiye
are two states and one nation.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that he was happy with the development of relations between the countries
following the election of Şevket Mirziyoyev to the Presidency of Uzbekistan,
and that good relations at the level of leaders are directly reflected in
business relations.
Pointing out that the
economic reforms carried out in Uzbekistan have made it attractive for
investment, Hisarcıklıoğlu continued as follows:
“I know that
entrepreneurship and the private sector play an important role in reforms. In
this respect, strengthening the chamber system will contribute significantly to
the deepening and implementation of the reforms. One of the important areas of
the reform process is to increase competitiveness and create a favorable
environment for exports. In this respect, the services to be provided to exporters
are important. The necessary support, including training, should be provided by
the chamber system to companies wishing to export. Developing and supporting
the chamber system in this respect would be a correct and useful step.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that
he is proud of the progress in Uzbekistan's economy and that the country's
economy has almost doubled in 7 years, “Türkiye-Uzbekistan relations continue
to develop. Our trade has nearly doubled in the last five years. We are happy
that the preferential trade agreement started to be implemented as of July 1. I
believe that our trade will continue to increase with the preferential trade
agreement.”
Emphasizing that the
business volume of Turkish contractors has more than doubled in the last five
years, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:
“Our investments also
continue to increase. We need more mutual trade and investment. We are aware of
this. For this, we will continue to attach importance to platforms that will
bring our members together. We established the Turkish-Uzbek Chamber of
Commerce and Industry Forum for this purpose. I would like to thank the
Co-Chairs Osman Doğan Şahlan and Islam Casimov. They will work more in the
coming period. With the memorandum of understanding we are about to sign, we
will determine our sectoral priorities as TOBB and Uzbekistan Chamber of
Commerce and Industry. We will increase our mutual investments and cooperation
by focusing on these sectors. We will share our experiences mutually.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that TOBB ETU Tashkent will give its first graduates this year and that similar
partnerships between Türkiye and Uzbekistan are continuing in wider areas and
that he is proud of this.
- Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz
Vice President Cevdet
Yılmaz also stated that Türkiye is continuing its economic growth and said,
“The latest indicators are the clearest signs of the strength and reliability
of the Turkish economy. The Turkish economy has grown at an average annual rate
of 5.4 percent in the last 20 years. If you consider that the world grew at an
average annual rate of 3.6 percent in the same period, you can see how
important this performance is. For 20 years, we have outperformed the world
performance by 1.8 percent every year. In the first 9 months of 2023, we have a
growth rate of 4.7 percent.”
Reminding that Türkiye
ranks third among the countries that Uzbekistan exports the most and fifth in
terms of imports, Yılmaz said, “We will hopefully carry these ranks to higher
levels with the efforts of our private sector. On the one hand, we are fighting
inflation to ensure price stability, on the other hand, we continue to support
investment, exports, employment and production. We have reshaped our economic
policies from a consumption-oriented growth structure to an investment and
export-oriented growth composition. In this context, I would like to express
that we are ready to provide all kinds of support to our exporters and
investors. Especially investments that increase added value and bring export
opportunities are very valuable for us.”
Stating that bilateral
trade with Uzbekistan has reached 3.5 billion dollars, Yılmaz said, “When we
look at our investments, we have investments in Uzbekistan amounting to one and
a half billion dollars. More than 1,700 companies continue their activities in
many different regions of Uzbekistan. However, these are not enough. More
companies need to make mutual investments. Uzbekistan should not be seen as a
market of only 35 million people. On the one hand, there is the Customs Union.
It is in a very strategic position in a very wide geography. Those who invest
in Uzbekistan have the opportunity to sell goods to a much larger market. The
same is true for Türkiye. Türkiye not only has a domestic market of 86 million
people, but also has a Customs Union with the EU, has many relations, and has
bilateral free trade agreements. Uzbek companies investing in Türkiye also have
the opportunity to access a much larger market. Our target has been set by our
Presidents and it is 5 billion dollars. Hopefully, together with Kuchkarov,
with the support of the business world, we will reach this target as soon as
possible and set new targets.”
Noting that the
Preferential Trade Agreement, which entered into force in July, is a step that
he said is important for the 5 billion dollar target, Yılmaz said, “We will see
its effects together. But the number of products is not enough. Our
institutions will hopefully add new products every year and bring it to a much
broader agreement.”
Stating that Turkish
contractors are doing important work in Uzbekistan, Yılmaz said, “They have
undertaken 262 projects. The total size of these has reached approximately 7
billion dollars. This is a growing activity that increases every year. I
believe that this period will increase even more in the future. With the
reforms of Şevket Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has turned into a construction site.
No matter which city you go to, every part of Uzbekistan, from Tashkent to
Bukhara, is a construction site with infrastructure and superstructure
projects. We expect our contractors to get a share from this in the coming
period. Our cooperation is based on the win-win principle.”
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance
of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov
Deputy Prime Minister
of Uzbekistan and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov said in his
speech here that reliable investment and privileges for Turkish companies can
be found in Uzbekistan, “Whatever projects you have, whatever goals you have,
you can find them in Uzbekistan. I believe that this Business Forum will be
good for developing the relations of entrepreneurs between our companies. The
economies of Uzbekistan and Türkiye are not competitors. They complement each
other. Over the last 5 years, the trade between the two states has increased
one and a half times,” he said.
Kuchkarov stated that
pharmaceuticals, technology, jewelry and shoemaking are attractive topics for
Uzbekistan and said, “We are trying to create various town squares especially
in Uzbekistan related to weaving. We want to encourage businessmen in four
different provinces of Uzbekistan, especially related to weaving in provinces
such as Andijan and Tashkent. We also provide them with opportunities in terms
of credit. Especially in terms of state contribution, we provide 8 percent
credit facilities. We recommend that business people here benefit from such
opportunities. Whichever institution and organization will evaluate our
proposal on weaving, I would like to happily announce that the 200 million
dollar loan to be given to them will be given at a rate of 8 percent.”
- “The limited number of products need to be expanded”
DEIK President Nail
Olpak said that Türkiye was the first state to recognize Uzbekistan and that
they were proud of this.
Pointing out the
importance of the friendship between the two countries, Olpak underlined that
they, as the business world, have a duty for the great goals set by the
Presidents of the two countries.
Referring to the
preferential trade agreement that entered into force this year, Olpak said,
“However, when we look as the business world, we see a very limited number of
products. While both the Vice President and the esteemed Deputy Prime Minister
are here, I would like to express our wish that the limited number of products
should be expanded. The development of cooperation between us is more possible
with rapprochement. For this, I believe that increasing the number of mutual
flights will contribute to this.”
Stating that one of the
potentials of Uzbekistan is tourism, Olpak said that it is important for
Turkish companies to be active in areas related to the sector, especially
hotels.
Olpak noted that it is
very important to respond to Uzbekistan's investment needs and that they want
to hold mutual meetings on 6 prominent sectors.
After the speeches,
Turkish and Uzbek companies signed mutual business agreements and took a commemorative
photo.