Özbekiston Respublikasi Qişloq xöjaligi vazirligi

The presence at this Forum of eminent scholars and experts, business leaders from more than thirty countries of the world, together with the representatives of numerous international organisations, bears witness to the profound attention and keen interest that these issues command today.

Dear friends!

The farmers of Uzbekistan possess a wealth of experience in cotton growing. Owing to the far-reaching reforms we have undertaken in recent years, this sector has risen to a new stage of development. Our devoted scientists have bred nearly 300 early-maturing varieties of cotton. The sowing, cultivation and harvesting of the crop have been fully mechanised. Today, through the introduction of modern agrotechnologies, our farmers are achieving yields of up to 100 centners of raw cotton per hectare (10 tonnes per hectare).

World Cotton Day will undoubtedly serve to enhance the investment appeal of Uzbekistan and to affirm the standing of our country as a reliable partner.

At the present time, alongside such challenges as climate change, water scarcity and drought, disruptions in the logistics chain are likewise driving food prices upwards. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than 645 million people across the globe are suffering from hunger. International experts caution that, should due measures not be taken, this figure may rise to 1 billion by 2028.

Averting such perils to the future of humankind rests upon multifaceted partnership and concerted joint endeavour. For landlocked countries, high transport costs and the difficulties encountered in transit states remain a serious impediment. Such constraints inevitably bear upon food security as well. We therefore stand for complete freedom of logistics and trade in food products, and for the simplification of the rules governing food deliveries.

We have set ourselves the ambitious target of doubling food production and tripling exports and value added by 2030. To attain these goals, we intend to deepen our cooperation with international organisations and foreign states.

It is essential to elaborate a food cooperation programme linking landlocked countries and transit partners, beginning with Central Asia. We likewise call upon international financial institutions and private investors to undertake joint projects in food processing, cold storage and transportation.

Dear guests!

I am confident that this Forum will mark an important step towards bringing to fruition the new initiatives and strategies advanced by its participants, and towards strengthening our joint endeavours.

I wish every success to the work of the Forum and to all of its participants.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev,

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan