The delegation of the Samarkand province, headed by the governor Khimmat Okbutayev, is paying an official visit to Bashkortostan (Russia), BashInform news agency reported. The main purpose of the visit is to expand trade and economic cooperation with Bashkortostan and increase the trade turnover, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Ufa, Venier Galiakbarov said.
The program of the visit includes a meeting with the Prime Minister of Bashkortostan. Samarkand province delegation will visit the XXVII AgroComplex International Exhibition, Bashkortostan Development Corporation and Ufa industrial park. The delegation will get acquainted with the activities of BashInkom and the Institute of Oil Refining. The official visit will be completed with a tasting event at Bashkir Honey House and evaluation of the work of Uzbekistan trading house.
On March 16, 2017 in Ufa was held the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bashkortostan and Samarkand province.
"Undoubtedly, Uzbekistan has been and remains for us one of the important partners. As for the trade volume, alas, today it amounts to only US$ 70 million," Minister of Economic Development of Bashkortostan, Sergei Novikov said.
He stressed that Bashkortostan is open for new projects: "I think that we should jointly outline concrete actions in order to increase the turnover. We count on the active participation of Uzbek businesses both in the economic and social life of our republic. We are interested in your technologies, competences and innovations. And we are ready to provide you with the most favorable conditions. "
In turn, the representatives of the Uzbek delegation thanked their colleagues from Bashkortostan for organizing the meeting. "I hope that this visit will contribute to the fact that we will become more familiar with the potential of Bashkortostan, its culture, entrepreneurs," Uzbek Ambassador to Russia Bakhrom Ashrafkhanov said, adding that Bashkortostan occupies an important place in the development of Uzbek-Russian relations, ,given the industrial and technological-scientific potentials of the republic, as well as close cultural and humanitarian ties, close languages, religion and traditions of the Bashkir and Uzbek peoples.
