As part of the visit to France, the Uzbek delegation led by Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khodjaev held talks with the leadership of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the French Department of Phytosanitary and the Institute of Agronomy, Veterinary and Forestry, in order to study the ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, discuss the current state of bilateral trade relations and the ways to expand bilateral trade.

"At present, Uzbekistan’s non-raw exports to France are presented by little volumes. Basically, Uzbek products have difficulty in reaching to the demanding European markets. We are negotiating with the EU countries and, in particular, with France to facilitate the entry of Uzbek products into the European markets by bringing our standards in line with the EU requirements. This way, we will be able to tap the export potential of horticultural and textile products," said Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khodjaev.

In addition, Jamshid Khodjayev visited the world's largest wholesale market of fresh products Rungis. Following the talkss with the President of the market, L. Layani, the parties agreed to conduct training seminars and cooperate on accreditation with the aim of promoting Uzbek fruits and vegetables to the French market.

Also, the Rangis leadership supported the proposal of the Minister Khodjaev to organize a visit to Uzbekistan in order to get acquainted with Uzbekistan’s export potential and study the possibility of sharing its best practices with Uzbekistan.

The Rungis International Market is the principal market of Paris, mainly for food and horticultural products, located in the commune of Rungis, in the southern suburbs. It is the largest wholesale food market in the world, covering 232-hectares, and employing 13,000 people every day.

Since its origins in the 10th century, the central market of Paris was located in the centre of the city, in a 10-hectare area named Les Halles. It became too small to accommodate all of the business demand, and, in 1969, the market was transferred to the suburbs. Rungis has been selected because of its easy access by rail and highway and its proximity to Orly International Airport.

The market is the property of the French State and administered by the Semmaris. Wholesalers are plentiful and the competition is strong. The market starts at 1am and ends around 11am. Clients are professionals, distributors and restaurants. Veterinary, phytosanitary controls and property checkouts are omnipresent. The waste of the market is recycled and the energy generated by the incinerator is used to heat up the market and Orly Airport nearby.