OREANDA-NEWS. March 2, 2011. Uzbekistan proposed Turkmenistan to create full-fledged free trade regime for developing cooperation between business entities of two states. This was announced at the sixth session of the Uzbek-Turkmen commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation.

Speaking at the session Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and Foreign Affairs Minister Elyor Ganiev also offered to create Trade Offices. He said that opening of such trade offices will help to expand and increase bilateral trade.

Ganiev said that enterprises of Uzbekistan are ready to supply high-quality products to Turkmenistan, including agriculture equipment, vehicles and buses, chemical products, construction materials and others.

The meeting noted that Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have great potential in international cargo transportation. Joint efforts helped to increase transit of cargo of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to 2.5 million tonnes a year.

The participants underlined that it is necessary to expand cooperation in transport communications and transit. In particular, the sides should broaden interaction between railway administrations and increase preferences to transit of cargo through territories of two states.

During the session, the sides considered issues on current state and perspectives of bilateral trade-economic relations, including in healthcare, trade, water management, fuel-energy sector and customs.

The sides also exchanged opinion on issues of further developing trade turnover and number of joint ventures between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, as well as developing scientific-technical and cultural cooperation.

According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan reached USD 195.5 million. The session noted that the sides will do their best to increase the volume.

Uzbekistan mainly exports food, machinery, vehicles, glasses ferrous metals and goods, optical tools, chemistry products to Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan imports plastic and plastic products, minerals, non-organic chemical products.