On September 7-11, member of COFCO Corporation leading Party members’ group and Vice President Luan Richeng went to Uzbekistan to attend the business forum of entrepreneurs of China and Uzbekistan and delivered a speech. The forum focused on the exchange of ideas regarding China and Uzbekistan’s joint effort to develop “Belt and Road” initiative as well as cooperation in the fields of energy resources, textile, and agriculture. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Committee of Political and Legal Affairs under the CPC Central Committee Meng Jianzhu and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov attended the opening ceremony and gave a speech.

In his speech delivered at the forum, Luan Richeng highlighted COFCO’s cooperation with Uzbek enterprises in cotton, tea and many other fields and reaffirmed COFCO’s commitment to further deepen cooperation with outstanding Uzbek enterprises in the field of agro-products under the guidance of “Belt and Road” development strategy and the auspices of Chinese and Uzbek governments so as to make active contributions to deepening bilateral friendship and promoting two countries’ economic and trade development.

After the forum, Luan Richeng met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saifnazarov and Minister of Light Industry of Uzbekistan I.Khaydarov respectively and held extensive discussions over Uzbekistan’s shift in cotton policy, transformation of textile industry and the future of trade.

During his trip, Luan Richeng also held in-depth exchange with Uzbek Cotton Industry Company deputy chairman and Uzbek Cotton Export Company general manager Kadirov. Both sides reviewed the cooperation in cotton business over the past 15 years and exchanged opinions on Uzbek textile sector’s full value chain development as well as the future direction of bilateral cooperation.

Luan Richeng also visited Tashkent cotton field, cotton warehouses, and two local textile enterprises for on-site investigation and research so as to get a full picture of the general situation of Uzbek cotton in the new cotton year, the status quo of Uzbek textile industry and its development potential.