TASHKENT (Xinhua) — Uzbekistan is forecasting to bring its textile exports to $2 bln this year, an Uzbek official said on Monday.

“Uzbekistan has moved from being an exporter of raw materials to a true supplier of high value-added textile products”, said Ilhom Haydarov, President of the Uzbek Association of the Textile Industry. The industry is now entirely export-oriented, he said, adding that last year Uzbekistan exported $1.6 bln worth of textile products.

The Uzbek government plans to reprocess all cotton yarn produced in the country by 2025 and increase textile exports to $7 bln, according to Haydarov.

Haydarov was speaking before the opening of the Global Textile Days in Tashkent 2019 forum held in Uzbekistan’s capital from 9 to 13 September. The International Cotton Advisory Committee will hold its 8^th meeting within the framework of the Forum, which will bring together scientific experts and specialists from the world’s major cotton producing countries.