Anadolu Agency
December 19

The protocol regarding the Joint Economic Council meeting was signed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Thursday.

State Minister Mehmet Aydyn and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Economic Relations Agency Chairman Elyar Ganiyev signed the protocol, which foresees close cooperation in fields of transportation, food, agriculture, construction material, textile, automotive industry, and tourism.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Mehmet Aydyn said that ''Turkey has always attached importance to Uzbekistan. The content of the protocol we signed today and the visit of Prime Minister to Uzbekistan is a sign of that. I believe that the year 2004 will be a new period in respect of bilateral relations.''

Ganiyev said in his part that the content of JEC protocols signed between Turkey and Uzbekistan became broader gradually, adding that ''we must benefit from the potential between the counties which has not been sufficiently used so far.''

JEC protocol foresees formation of common working group to determine and evaluate the common investment capacities between the two countries.

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