Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan intend to increase the two-way trade volume up to US$ 2 billion. An agreement on this was reached in Osh at the fourth meeting of the Council of governors of the border provinces of Uzbekistan and plenipotentiaries of the President of Kyrgyzstan on April 1, the Government of Kyrgyzstan said.

The meeting was attended by the Uzbek PM Abdulla Aripov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Zhaparov.

In 2021, according to the Uzbekistan Statistics Committee, the two-way trade figure with Kyrgyzstan topped US$ 952.6 million (in 2020 - US$ 907.2 million), including exports from Uzbekistan reached US$ 791.1 million, imports - US$ 161.5 million. Kyrgyzstan is Uzbekistan sixth largest trade partner 2.3% after Russia (17.9%), China (17.7%), Kazakhstan (9.3%), Turkey (8.1%) and the Republic of Korea (4.5%).

Reportedly, the parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, transport, border trade, tourism, cultural and humanitarian sphere and others.

Abdulla Aripov noted that industrial cooperation was actively developing between the countries, significant joint projects were being implemented in the field of energy, transport, and logistics. To financially support projects, the Uzbek-Kyrgyz Development Fund was set up with a capital of 200 million US dollars.

Akylbek Zhaparov stressed that between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan there remains "a large untapped potential in the trade and economic sphere, and therefore there is a need to take specific practical measures to establish direct contacts between provincial administrations and the business circles of our states."

The parties discussed the construction of the Irkeshtam-Daroot-Korgon-Uch-Korgon road, a border trade logistics center in the city of Kyzyl-Kiya, as well as joint infrastructure projects for which the potential of the new development fund can be used.

The parties also discussed aspects of the implementation of the complex of cotton-textile cluster project, which includes a cotton gin, a yarn factory, a textile factory and a machine and tractor fleet, as well as a plant for the production of vegetable oil in Nooken district of Jalal-Abad province of Kyrgyzstan.

The Kyrgyz officials proposed to increase the volume of supplies to Uzbekistan of cement, coal, quartz sand, potatoes, milk and dairy products.

The parties raised the issue of the development of the machine-building industry and the implementation of projects to create an assembly of passenger cars, agricultural and attachments in Kyrgyzstan.

The Council instructed the administrations of Namangan and Jalal-Abad provinces to expedite the implementation of the issue of creating joint farms for raising pedigree cattle and small cattle, including using cluster mechanisms.

Akylbek Zhaparov proposed, as part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, to create a Park of Kyrgyz-Uzbek friendship in Osh.

Following the meeting, the parties exchanged notes on the mutual recognition of certificates of vaccination against COVID-19.