76 accords worth more than US$ 352 million were signed as part of the fourth Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan Interprovincial Cooperation Forum and the business forum in Samarkand, the press service of the Kazakh Prime Minister said.

Uzbekistan Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and his Kazakh counterpart Olzhas Bektenov attended the interprovincial forum and discussed issues of industrial cooperation, cooperation in the water, energy and transit-transport spheres, and the gas industry.

In the first eight months of the year, the volume of the two-way trade reached US$ 2.5 billion. Olzhas Bektenov noted the need to expand measures aimed at developing trade and economic cooperation and creating favorable conditions for mutual investment.

"Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have broad perspectives for joint work in all areas. This is primarily facilitated by the trusting political dialogue between the heads of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Investment agreements and commercial contracts worth $7 billion signed during the business forum in Astana will make a significant contribution. I am convinced that today's meeting will serve as the beginning of the implementation of new breakthrough projects and will make a huge contribution to ensuring sustainable economic development of the entire Central Asian province," he said.

Kazakh PM voiced readiness to increase exports to Uzbekistan by over $550 million for 40 types of high-value-added Kazakh goods.

PM Aripov noted that the priority area of ​​relations between the countries today is the development of interprovincial cooperation.

"Over the past 7 years, the two-way trade between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has grown almost 2.5 times, reaching $4.4 billion last year. Today, there are more than 1,000 enterprises with Kazakh capital operating in Uzbekistan. The border provinces have established direct and close ties with each other - the Republic of Karakalpakstan with the Mangistau province, Tashkent - with Turkestan, Navoi - with Kyzylorda. Our other provinces are also consistently strengthening ties, developing trade relations and industrial cooperation. At the same time, there is great potential that has not yet been realized," the head of government noted.

During the forum, the parties discussed the ways to develop industrial cooperation, which provides for the implementation of 74 joint projects with an investment volume of $ 3.4 billion and the creation of 14.6 thousand jobs.

Of these, 65 enterprises are planned to be opened in Kazakhstan with the creation of 13.6 thousand jobs. In this country, 9 joint projects have been implemented to date, another 3 - in Uzbekistan. This allowed the creation of a total of 4,800 jobs.

Examples of Kazakh-Uzbek industrial cooperation include the small-unit production of Chevrolet Onix cars in Kostanay, a household appliances plant in Saran, sewing and spinning and weaving factories in Shymkent and the Turkestan province, autoclaved aerated concrete production in Angren, and others.

The creation of the Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Center in Syrdarya, where one-stop services will be introduced, and tax, customs and other preferences for entrepreneurs will be provided, is expected to give a new impetus to the joint work of the governments.

While, the PMs discussed the ways to develop transport and logistics potential were discussed. More than 50% of Uzbekistan's trade turnover passes through Kazakhstan in transit. 18 passenger transportation routes have been established by various modes of transport, which opens up new opportunities for further deepening ties.

During the two forums, 76 documents worth more than $352 million were signed. Among them is the Practical Action Plan to accelerate the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level. The document provides for the implementation of joint projects in energy, mining, and geology.

The Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov and the Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Arman Shakkaliev signed the Practical Action Plan to increase two-way trade. "All this is aimed at ensuring that relations between the two countries act as a driving force for advancing the province's economy as a whole," Shakkaliev said.

The governor of Kazakhstan's Mangistau province Nurdaulet Kilybay proposed creating a duty-free trade zone near the border with Uzbekistan. It will operate on the model of the Khorgos complex on the border of Kazakhstan with China, the official added.

According to preliminary estimates, the opening of the zone will increase the trade of the Mangistau province with Uzbekistan by 4 times.

At the forum were also entered into contracts for the supply of sunflower oil to Uzbekistan worth total of $12 million. In particular, the OskemenAgroProdukt company signed a $2 million agreement with the Uzbek company Texno Servis Sam, and the Altyn Shyghys company signed a $10 million contract with the Pet Agro Oil enterprise.