TASHKENT (Presidential press service) — In his address to the 14^th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on March 4, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev urged the lifting of trade and transport barriers and restrictions imposed as part of quarantine measures to increase mutual trade and investment.

This year summit was chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The President of Uzbekistan underlined that the existing potential and broad capabilities of the ECO member states were not fully used.

Mirziyoyev said:

The main driver of economic growth is the expansion of trade and investment relations. The total trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the member states of the organization has almost doubled in recent years. Last year, despite the difficult situation, we managed to maintain these volumes. We believe that the time has come to lift the trade and transport restrictions imposed by the organization’s countries during the quarantine period. I think that the widespread introduction of digital technologies and e-commerce will significantly facilitate our trade cooperation.

Mirziyoyev also said it was necessary to speed up the approval and adoption of the Mutual Trade Agreement proposed by Turkey. He proposed to widely implement solutions for the digitalization of trade and the development of e-commerce.

Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of the construction of the new Mazar-i-Sharif—Kabul—Peshawar railway for ensuring sustainable development, as well as the integration of Afghanistan into regional economic processes.

Concerning food security, Mirziyoyev stated:

We consider it necessary to cooperate with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to develop and adopt a new program of our organization in the field of food security. In this regard, we are ready to organize a regular meeting of the ministers of agriculture of the member states in Uzbekistan this year.

In the energy sector, the Uzbek leader urged drawing up and the adoption of a medium-term strategy to widely attract advanced technological solutions and investments, primarily in renewable energy.

President Mirziyoyev also drew attention to the critical necessity of increased cooperation in the field of health, including surveillance and rapid response to modern challenges and threats.