Mirziyoyev highlights trade, transport, and tourism at ECO meeting

On July 4, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in the city of Khonjendi, Azerbaijan. The press service of the President reported this.

During his address, the Head of State proposed the adoption of the concept titled “Strategic Goals of Economic Cooperation – 2035.”

The document outlines plans to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, transport, energy, industry, agriculture, innovation, and digital technologies.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized that the current level of mutual trade among OIC member states remains low. In this regard, he proposed holding a meeting of trade ministers in Tashkent.

He also put forward initiatives to introduce a “green corridor” system for agricultural trade, implement the “Ecoinvest” program, and widely attract private investment.

Addressing the prospects of the transport and logistics sector, the President highlighted the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project as a significant strategic initiative.

“It is time to put into practice the initiative on the establishment of a digital transport and customs office,” said the Head of State.

He also underscored the need to open new air routes across the region, foster innovative cooperation between airlines, and develop integrated marketing strategies in the tourism and aviation sectors.

The President proposed holding a National Airline Forum in Samarkand on these topics, along with drafting a roadmap for improving tourism services and increasing tourist flows.

For reference, the summit was chaired by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and attended by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban interim government in Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, OIC Secretary General Asad Majid Khan, and heads of delegations from various other countries and regional organizations.

As a reminder, at this summit, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev warned that the recent military actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran risk dragging the entire region into a vortex of war and creating a large-scale ecological disaster.