A Business Forum of Uzbekistan and Italy was held in Tashkent on 15 June. The forum was organized within the visit of the delegation led by Agostino Ghiglia, representative of the Environment Commission of the Italian Parliament.

The event, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was dedicated to the issues of further expanding the Uzbek-Italian economic and investment cooperation.

The forum was attended by the heads of ministries, departments and companies of the two countries responsible for the sphere of external economic relations, trade, investment, energy, healthcare, banking and finance, textile and light industry, automotive, construction, chemicals, transport communications, electrical and education.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan B.Abdusamatov spoke about consistent development of cooperation between our countries in many spheres and stressed that this forum serves to further the development of trade-economic and investment relations.

Between Uzbekistan and Italy, agreements were signed on the avoidance of double taxation and preventing fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital, the mutual regulation of international cargo and passenger road transport, as well as cooperation in the sphere of transport, culture, science and tourism.

The countries have established the most-favoured-nation regime in the trade sector. Nowadays, 36 joint ventures created in cooperation with Italy function in our country.

During the forum, participants exchanged opinion on expanding and strengthening trade-economic and investment cooperation, developing and realization of joint mutual beneficial projects. The sides considered issues of further developing cooperation in oil and gas, banking and financial sector, as well as light and textile industry, small and private entrepreneurship in order to support direct contacts between entrepreneurs.

Italian businessmen were acquainted with wide-scale privatization processes ongoing in Uzbekistan, development of small and private entrepreneurship.

The sides exchanged opinion on attracting Italian companies into privatization process in Uzbekistan, implementation of high-technologic joint projects in Navoi free industrial-economic zone.

Italian delegation also held negotiations at the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan. The memorandum on cooperation between the Legislative Chamber and the Chamber of Deputies was signed, UzA informs.