President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a speech at the First Summit of the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia - SPECA and expressed his gratitude to Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan for hosting the event and for the hospitality.
Mirziyoyev underlined that under Azerbaijan's leadership, the regional cooperation has reached new heights, marking unprecedented progress. Commemorating the 25th anniversary, he congratulated all on this milestone. The recent UN General Assembly resolution on SPECA underscores its significance, as per his words.
"The success of SPECA is evident in the implementation of over 400 projects, spanning trade, communications, transport, digitalization, energy, water resources, ecology, gender equality, and more. The positive atmosphere of good neighborliness and trust in Central Asia has grown, particularly in recent years," the president said.
The region experiences significant industrial and infrastructure collaborations with Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Hungary. The liberation of historical regions in Azerbaijan, led by President Ilham Aliyev, has brought positive changes, fostering new opportunities for regional cooperation. Given global geopolitical uncertainties, the need for our countries to enhance regional cooperation against contemporary challenges is clear, the president expressed.
Mirziyoyev brought up a proposal, "I propose significant enhancements to SPECA, transforming it into an open and more effective regional platform for economic cooperation. A SPECA-2030 Development Concept, developed with experts from the UN Economic Commission for Europe and ESCAP, is essential.
We advocate for a Joint Action Plan for the Development of Regional Trade, focusing on eliminating obstacles and harmonizing technical regulation measures. With opportunities to double mutual trade turnover to $100bn by 2030, we aim for a 70% share of industrial products."
SPEKA-2030 Development Concept: Mirziyoyev suggested developing this concept in collaboration with experts from the UN Economic Commission for Europe and ESKAP to enhance the program's effectiveness.
Joint Action Plan for Regional Trade: The President advocated for the introduction of world-best practices to eliminate obstacles and harmonize technical regulations in export-import operations, aiming to boost mutual trade turnover to $100 billion by 2030.
Establishment of SPEKA Trust Fund: President Mirziyoyev emphasized the urgency of creating the fund to support major projects in the green economy, innovation, high technology, logistics, alternative energy, smart agriculture, and social infrastructure.
Digitalization of Trans-Caspian Multimodal Corridor: Supporting the Road Map, the President proposed hosting the "Digital Transport Corridors" International Forum in Uzbekistan to enhance transport connectivity.
Special High-Level Working Group for Food Security: The creation of this group, with its first meeting scheduled in Samarkand, will address cooperative relations, value chain creation, scientific exchange, and innovation introduction in the agriculture sector.
Multilateral “Green Strategy”: To address water, energy, ecology, and agriculture sectors comprehensively, President Mirziyoyev proposed adopting a new conceptual document.
SPEKA Businesswomen’s Council: The President suggested establishing the council to encourage active initiatives and specific plans of businesswomen, with an international award "SPEKA recognition" for outstanding contributions.
"Despite the absence of representatives from Afghanistan at today’s meeting, we urge the restoration of cooperation and working relations with Afghanistan within the SPECA Program for regional stability.
In conclusion, Uzbekistan is committed to multilateral partnership within the United Nations SPECA regional program, fostering sustainable development and prosperity for our people," concluded the president.
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