Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan

As part of the third day of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, a panel session was held on the topic “Global trade fragmentation and neo-protectionism: lessons from the past, current challenges and implications for Central Asia’s regional and global value chain integration efforts”

In conditions where global trade is increasingly fragmenting, Central Asian countries are seeking new ways to adapt to this situation. The session, conducted by Managing Partner of Rishi Partners Suvra Chakraborty, discussed regional strategies for improving institutional capacity to facilitate trade, attract investment, and strengthen integration into global value chains.

Head of Trade & Investment Policy Unit at Int ernational Trade Centre UN/WTO Jean Sebastien Roure noted that the Central Asian region is one of the fastest-developing and provided his recommendations and advice to the countries of the region:

“Over the past three years, investment in the Central Asian region has increased by 40%, and the region is currently considered one of the fastest-developing in the world,” emphasized Roure. “This did not happen by itself, three years ago we predicted these results. However, despite the region’s development, there is still much work ahead, and it is necessary to integrate the region into the global value chain more quickly. Central Asia is a territory located between Europe and Asia. The region should effectively use this advantage. For this, all countries in the region must first become members of the WTO. It is worth particularly noting Uzbekistan’s activity in this direction.”

Another speaker, Andrea Clerici, Director of Department Corporate Finance and Global Activities at the European Investment Bank, also delivered remarks and emphasized that Uzbekistan strives to become a leader in the region:

“Central Asian countries have limited geographical opportunities. Therefore, the states of the region need to further strengthen mutual cooperation, which will be very beneficial for the region. Uzbekistan has high potential in this regard, the country strives to become a regional leader and has the opportunity to become a transport corridor. Our bank is also increasing cooperation with the countries of the region; we have already concluded several agreements and plan to open our branch in Uzbekistan in the near future.”

The session also featured speakers such as Inomjon Abdurakhmonov from the Directorate General of the Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, OECD Eurasia Policy Analyst Céleste Laporte Talamon, and President of ZTO CWST Group Xiangliang Hu.

In their speech, they emphasized that trade liberalization in Central Asia will serve as a success factor for the region, that the territory should fully utilize its potential, and that countries need to act together in this direction. They also discussed which aspects the countries of the region should focus on for faster accession to the WTO.

During the session, specific steps were identified for developing mutual cooperation and strengthening integration into global value chains. The complexities and opportunities of Central Asian countries’ integration into the global trading system were discussed. The event also examined Uzbekistan’s strategies for strengthening its position in the future.