By Azernews

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The ministers of agriculture of Kazakhstan Saparkhan Omarov and his colleague from Uzbekistan Zhamshid Khojaev signed a roadmap for enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the field of agriculture.

The roadmap was signed following the results of the negotiations, in the presence of the head of the Kazakh government.

The document provides measures for the development of cooperation in 2019-2024 in the fields of agricultural science, production, certification, trade, digitalization, veterinary medicine and animal husbandry, plant quarantine.

Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin received a delegation led by the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Zhamshid Khojaev.

“Thanks to the efforts of the First President of Kazakhstan – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev and the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, cooperation between our countries has reached a qualitatively new level. The Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev continues the course to further strengthen the strategic partnership with Uzbekistan,” Mamin said.

He noted the significant potential for increasing mutual deliveries of agricultural products, joint implementation of investment projects and access to the markets of third countries.

Commodity circulation of agricultural products and processed agricultural products between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan totalled about $770 million in January-September 2019.

The main exports of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan are wheat and meslin, wheat or wheat-rye flour, sunflower seeds, sugar, cattle, and wheat waste. Uzbekistan mainly exports to Kazakhstan cherries and cherries, fresh grapes, apricots, tomatoes, peaches, persimmons, vegetables.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were established on November 23, 1992.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan currently experience a rise in mutual economic ties. In January-June 2019, trade between the two countries amounted to $1.36 billion, of which $994 million falls to Kazakh exports to Uzbekistan, and the rest ($367 million) on Uzbekistan exports to Kazakhstan.

Over 200 companies with Kazakh capital currently operate in Uzbekistan.

Earlier, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan agreed to take further measures to ensure the growth of trade turnover to $3 billion in 2018 and $5 billion by 2020. The countries also intend to increase the number of rail, bus and air communication between the two states.

Uzbek investments in Kazakhstan for the past 10 years amounted to $31.3 million, half of which accounts for 2016. Kazakh investments in Uzbekistan totalled $114.4 million in the past decade.