Turks.US
December 27

Uzbekistan Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov said on Friday that 2004 would be a better year for Turkish-Uzbek relations, adding that both the Uzbek government and citizens valued the agreements signed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during his visit on Dec. 18-20.

Speaking to Anatolia news agency, Norov said that Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov and PM Erdogan had discussed many international issues and agreed on many points, adding that Karimov, accepted Ahmet Necdet Sezer's invitation and would be visiting Turkey in 2004.

Norov also said that technical meetings linked to PM Erdogan's suggestion to form a Joint Transportation Commission (KUK) had started.

Uzbekistan had relations with many countries, but in the automotive sector only Turkey and South Korea had established themselves in the country, said Norov. He said Turkish businessmen were very involved in the country's textile, food and construction sectors.

Norov noted that in the first three years of the country's independence, imports had been dominated by production goods, while in the past five years they were dominated by capital goods. Uzbekistan's natural wealth was around $1 billion, according to American experts, said Norov, adding that the government aimed to invest in its cotton sector, expanding its production capacity from 30-40 percent to 60 percent in the next few years.

He said he knew how developed the Turkish textile sector was, adding that his country produced over 4-million tons of farming produce every year, but could process only 37 percent of it. Turkey and Uzbekistan could work together in processing raw materials in an effort to expand to western markets, said Norov, adding that even Russia could be used to facilitate such an outcome.

Norov also said that an automotive factory owned by Koc holding in Uzbekistan had a very bright future, adding that cars produced here would also be sold in neighboring countries.

Norov said that transportation problems between countries were preventing relations to develop to their full potential, adding that the issue had been discussed during PM Erdogan's visit to the country.

Ideas were exchanged on ways to create a trans-Caucasus traffic corridor between Central Asian countries and Turkey in order open the region to world markets, said Norov, adding that this corridor was not important only for central Asia, but also for Afghanistan.

He said he agreed with PM Erdogan's statement that Turkey's membership to the EU would bring Uzbekistan closer to the union, adding that both countries could also cooperate in entering Chinese and Indian markets.

Norov said Turkish businessmen had restored some hotels in the capital Taskent, adding that he wanted to see the practice expanded to other cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana and Surhanderya.

Karimov and Erdogan had discussed the close language, religious and cultural relations between the two peoples, adding that in order to expand trade relations there should be mutual benefits.

Cooperation against terrorism was also an issue that was discussed on Erdogan's visit, said Norov, adding that both leaders had agreed that terrorism did not have a religion and that Islam was a religion of peace.

He said he hoped cooperation in the military field would expand to NATO.

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