ANADOLU AGENCY
Uzbekistan and Turkey discussed economic security during the February 2017 Turkey-Uzbekistan Business Forum organized by Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board in Istanbul.
“We identified nine to 10 economic sectors such as agriculture, textile, electric-electronic, chemistry, tourism, and logistics,” Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said at the forum.
In particular, Uzbekistan sought help from Turkey in the field of petrochemicals, Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov said. The country operates two petroleum refineries and is developing a third.
“We hope to cooperate in petrochemistry with our Turkish partners,” he said. “We can work together in extracting and processing mines such as gold, silver and uranium.”
In 2016, Uzbekistan’s exports to Turkey amounted to $709.2 million, compared to $711.5 million the previous year. Zeybekci said there should be free trade agreement or a preferential trade agreement between both countries to meet the need for increased commerce that will aid in building economic self-sufficiency in Central Asia.
“There is huge potential in every field, and we will expand,” Zeybekci said.