President Erdoğan: “We have increased our bilateral trade volume to over $3 billion. The first target is to achieve $5 billion, then $10 billion. Nevertheless, I believe that this figure falls far below our potential."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the Türkiye-Uzbekistan Business Forum at the Presidential Complex, which was attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
Stating that he believes that the meeting would contribute to elevating the economic and commercial relations between Türkiye and Uzbekistan to the desired levels, President Erdoğan thanked Mirziyoyev for his close attention to the issues concerning business people.
"There is a long way to go"
Highlighting the great importance attached to this historic visit of Mirziyoyev to Türkiye accompanied by a large delegation of distinguished business people, President Erdoğan continued his speech as follows:
"Through his unwavering support, we have achieved great progress and momentum in Türkiye-Uzbekistan relations in recent years. With the steady steps that we have taken since 2017, we have set the institutional framework for our relations. In 2022, we elevated our relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. Based on this solid background, contacts and visits between Türkiye and Uzbekistan continue as intensely as they do today. There is still a long way to go, for sure. Considering the current will and momentum in the political arena, I believe that we should leverage our commercial potential to the fullest. We are taking steps to further strengthen our economic and commercial cooperation and enhance the capability of our entrepreneurs to conduct business together. Our meeting today is a clear manifestation of this understanding. I believe that you, my esteemed brothers and sisters, will spearhead the gathering of the business communities of both countries. We will support the partnerships of our companies with all available resources."
Trade volume
President Erdoğan said that politicians' duty is to facilitate business people's endeavours, assist them in their efforts, and pave the way for them.
Stating that they will always support businesspeople as long as they continue to engage in trade and investment, President Erdoğan added:
"I have personally witnessed my brother Shavkat's diligence in increasing trade and investments between the two countries. Our doors are also wide open to our Uzbek brothers, sisters and investors. I would like to emphasise this particularly. Türkiye is your second home. We are members of the same family. There is no differentiation between us. Under the leadership of my brother Shavkat, our dialogue has grown stronger, flourished and spread over a very wide area. Inshallah, we will move forward with joint projects. Joint projects will consolidate Uzbekistan's reform and development process, thereby making significant contributions to the stability of the region. We take pride in following Turkish enterprises operating in a variety of fields, from energy to investment to construction to industry. We are currently working to conclude all negotiations to expand the scope of the preferential trade agreement as expeditiously as possible. We have increased our bilateral trade volume to over $3 billion. The first target is to achieve $5 billion, then $10 billion. Nevertheless, I believe that this figure falls far below our potential. I am confident that through collaborative efforts, we will achieve a total of $10 billion."
Joint Economic Commission Works
President Erdoğan noted that the talks they held today will lead to increased levels of mutual investment, trade volume, and economic cooperation and that the Joint Economic Commission serves as a key platform for dialogue and cooperation in this regard.
President Erdoğan expressed confidence that the work by the Co-Chairs of the Joint Economic Commission, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov, would yield fruitful results, stating that the agreements they signed in a variety of fields, from trade to energy to agriculture to development, on the occasion of the Council Meeting would each serve as a stepping stone for cooperation.
President Erdoğan highlighted the significance of collaboration in generating positive impacts for not only both nations but also the Eurasian axis, which is centred on Central Asia, and went on to say:
"By implementing your projects with the interests of the Turkic world in mind, you will leave a legacy for future generations while adding value to your business. I am of the opinion that the Turkish model can serve as a guide for Uzbekistan's infrastructure projects and development moves, and I would like to emphasise that we are prepared to collaborate with our Uzbek brothers and sisters in every field in this regard. I hope that our talks today will be auspicious for the future of our relations. I would like to express my gratitude to my dear brother Mirziyoyev for this important visit, which holds historical significance for us. I sincerely believe that Uzbekistan will continue to succeed under the visionary and robust leadership of Mirziyoyev. May Allah keep our path clear."
President Erdoğan concluded his speech by announcing that a Deputy Minister of Trade will oversee the development of relations with Uzbekistan alongside his team and instructing Minister Ömer Bolat to take charge of this issue.