The seventh International Uzbek Cotton and Textile Fair, organized on the initiative of President Islam Karimov, started in Tashkent on 12 October.

The topic of the fair is “Cotton and textile: new perspectives”.Representatives of the cotton and textile industries, as well as cotton traders from all over the world, have gathered to discuss the trends on the market, get acquainted with the cotton industry of Uzbekistan and conclude direct contracts for purchase of cotton fiber and ready products.

At the opening of the fair, it was noted that the development of Uzbekistan’s economy over the 20 years of independence has proved the correctness of the Uzbek model of reforms.

Over the past years, the country’s GDP in purchasing power parity rose 3.5 times, the volume of industrial production 3 times and exports almost 30 times. Uzbekistan is consistently expanding its participation in the international economic relations.

In the conditions of the world economic crisi, the economy of Uzbekistan proved its reliability and resistance to external negative influences. The implementation of the timely adopted Anti-crisis program has provided opportunities for accelerated modernization of the industry.

Uzbekistan is one of the leaders of the world cotton market, ranking third largest exporter of cotton. The geography of supplies of Uzbek cotton is continuiously expanding – including due to the growing interest from the South-East and South Asia, where the textile industry is rapidly developing.

The number of participants of the Uzbek cotton fair has been increasing from year to year, from about 170 trading and textile companies in 2005 to over 660 representatives of 330 companies from 38 states this year.

different regions of the world. It is noteworthy that constantly expands geography of supplies – including due to the growing interest in cooperation with Uzbekistan South-East and South Asia, where the rapidly developing textile industry.

“Long-term analysis of supply and demand on the world cotton market shows that Uzbekistan is one of its largest participants,” said president of the International Cotton Association Ray Butler. “The potential of the country in this area is constantly increasing. The textile industry is also rapidly developing. The approach that focuses on export of products with high added value increases the efficiency of the national economy.”

Today, Uzbekistan produces a wide range of quality products from own cotton, which is also in demand abroad. At the last year’s fair, apart from contracts for purchase of cotton fiber, contracts worth over USD 500 million were signed for export of products of textile enterprises.

Cotton production in Uzbekistan is developing on the basis of improvement of agricultural technologies, introduction of new cotton types and modernization of processing industry. A number of fast breeding cotton types with higher yield and long fiber have been developed, which are resistant to pests and climatic conditions of different regions of the country.

At the cotton fair, more than 800 samples of all parties of fiber produced in this season by cotton plants of Uzbekistan are presented, UzA informs. Each bale put up for sale has a quality certificate issued by Sifat, cotton fiber certification authority.

The participants of the forum will be able to get acquainted with the cotton industry by visiting Yangiyul cotton processing plant and Tashkent-Tola cotton terminal in Tashkent region, as well as UzTex joint venture in Tashkent.

Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke at the opening ceremony of the International Uzbek Cotton and Textile Fair.