Tashkent: Oman and Uzbekistan have taken significant steps toward deepening bilateral cooperation during the latest session of the Omani-Uzbek Joint Committee held in Tashkent. The Omani delegation was led by H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, and included H.E. Ambassador Wafa bint Jabr Al Busaidi. The Uzbek side was headed by H.E. Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, with senior officials from both nations in attendance.
Major Agreements and Strategic Outcomes
Key outcomes of the committee’s discussions included:
- A new air transport agreement to expand operational rights and enhance connectivity.
- Strengthened logistics cooperation via Omani ports to facilitate Uzbek exports.
- Promotion of joint ventures in areas such as higher education, energy, agriculture, tourism, and innovation.
- A commitment to revitalize existing bilateral agreements, aligning them with current development priorities.
High-Level Meetings and Sectoral Collaboration
H.E. Al Yousef held strategic meetings with key Uzbek ministers, including:
- H.E. Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technology
- H.E. Bakhtiar Odilovich Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs
These engagements focused on overcoming investment challenges, enhancing trade flows, and deepening cooperation in digital transformation and industrial innovation.
Business Roundtable and Investment Promotion
A bilateral business roundtable convened entrepreneurs and investors from both nations. Omar Al Harthy, Senior Investment Analyst at Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, highlighted the “Invest in Oman” initiative, outlining incentives and growth opportunities for foreign businesses.
The Omani delegation also explored partnerships with Uzbek firms in e-commerce, electronic payments, and textiles, and visited the American University of Technology in Tashkent, a project by Oman’s Ozman Investment. Delegates engaged with local startups and innovators at the Innovation Center of the Ministry of Digital Technology.
New Energy Partnership
The visit concluded with the inauguration of the Golden Integration Oil and Gas Company’s Tashkent Branch, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Oman’s Seih Al-Sariyah Company, marking a new milestone in Omani-Uzbek energy cooperation.
