The joining of Uzbekistan to the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States will allow mutual trade turnover between member countries to exceed $12 billion by the end of 2019, the deputy director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) under the President of Uzbekistan Sanjar Valiyev said. 

According to him, excluding Uzbekistan, trade turnover between members of the organization is $9 billion.

“With Uzbekistan’s accession, this year the figure will be more than $12 billion. Trade growth is very fast. It is, in the organization itself, more than 20% annually. Over the past 2-3 years, Uzbekistan has increased trade relations with Turkic-Speaking States by 40%. This indicator will increase even more,” Valiyev said.

He stressed that Uzbekistan “has very clear goals in order to interact and solve specific issues” with member countries of the Turkic Council.

For information, the Turkic Council was established in 2009. It includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan officially became the fifth member of the Turkic Council at the annual meeting of the board, held in October this year in Baku.