AKIPRESS.COM - Tashkent hosted the Uzbekistan – Iran Business Forum as part of the visit to Uzbekistan of business representatives led by President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Samad Hassanzadeh, UzA reports.

The event, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Tehran, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Tashkent City Administration, and the Iranian side, was attended by Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan Davron Vakhobov, the ICCIMA President Samad Hassanzadeh, heads of relevant ministries and agencies, industry associations, as well as over 200 representatives of the business circles of the two countries.

The parties discussed promising projects in industry, innovation, agriculture and water management, food, fish farming, building materials production, medicine and pharmaceuticals, textiles, logistics, and engineering.

"We are confident that this event will open an even broader path to strengthening trade and economic relations between our countries. We call on business representatives to take advantage of the opportunities created and actively participate in B2B meetings," Davron Vakhobov said.

Strengthening relations between business circles is a decisive factor in increasing the scale of mutual investment, trade, and economic cooperation. In this sense, it is natural that this issue has become the main issue on the agenda of the business forum.

Samad Hassanzadeh emphasized that thanks to the policy and high-level visits of the leaders of the two countries, the trade and industrial sectors are developing rapidly, and a healthy, competitive business environment is being formed. He acknowledged that the major projects being implemented result from successful cooperation between the entrepreneurs.

It was noted that the volume of mutual trade amounted to $503.4 million, export volumes to $180.6 million, and imports to $322 million in 2023. Currently, there are 268 enterprises with Iranian investments operating in Uzbekistan. More than 120 of them are joint ventures, and 147 are foreign.

As part of the event, a presentation of the investment potential of Uzbekistan, projects implemented in priority sectors was held. Reports were heard from representatives of the Agency for Attracting Foreign Investments and the Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association.

Following the forum, B2B meetings were held between representatives of the Iranian business community and businesspeople of Tashkent city.