BTSO's Next Stop: Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan: BTSO's New Destination Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) continues to accelerate sectors through UR-GE projects implemented in line with Turkey's export-driven development targets. Bursa business representatives conducted bilateral business meetings in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, within the framework of UR-GE activities carried out in the baby and children's products, construction, chemistry and elevator sectors. A BTSO delegation of 135 people held business meetings at B2B organizations arranged with strong interest from businesspeople from Uzbekistan and neighbouring countries. BTSO, which aims to position its members in a stronger position in export markets with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, has successfully completed another important international programme. BTSO, the umbrella organization of the Bursa business world, has signed one of the largest organizations ever held in the sister country Uzbekistan with which it has deep historical and cultural ties, bringing together a delegation comprising 135 sector representatives from 76 companies. At the bilateral business meeting held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Bursa-based companies met with major Uzbek buyers. Bursa sector representatives had the opportunity to introduce their products to Uzbek businesspeople. Companies that are members of the Baby and Children's Products, Construction and Building Materials, Elevators and Chemistry UR-GE projects participated in the event held in Tashkent, Central Asia's largest city. Through the organization arranged under BTSO's leadership, 135 businesspeople from 76 UR-GE member companies met with buyers from Uzbekistan and the neighbouring region at cooperation tables across 3 different venues in the city. BTSO Management Board Vice Chairman İsmail Kuş stated that the organization, conducted jointly by 5 UR-GE projects with a delegation of 135 people, was successfully completed and continued as follows: "Our companies completed bilateral business meetings very productively. Since Tashkent is a central region, it has significant impact not only on Uzbekistan but also on neighbouring countries. There were important visits from other countries, particularly from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan, located in the central position of Central Asia, holds importance in terms of sectors. Bursa is a manufacturing city and for this to make sense, you need to bring the products you manufacture to buyers in other countries. UR-GE projects are the most important tool providing this. In this context, I would like to thank the Ministry of Commerce for its support to our projects." BTSO Management Board Member Alparslan Şenocak expressed that they want to further strengthen the strong historical ties between the two countries through trade relations and explained as follows: "The foreign trade volume between Turkey and Uzbekistan reached USD 3.6 billion in 2021. Within the framework of the USD 5 billion target between the two countries, we continue our work. Our construction sector has the opportunity to gain great opportunities in Uzbekistan. Our UR-GE member companies received strong interest from Uzbek businesspeople here. We made great efforts to find markets for the construction sector in foreign markets, and we held our first bilateral business meetings in Uzbekistan within the framework of the Construction and Building Materials UR-GE project." BTSO Construction Council Chairman and BTSO Board Member Ali Tuğcu noted that the construction sector has achieved worldwide success. "Our presence here with our other UR-GE projects has actually created great synergy. As our construction sector develops, its coordinated development together with other sectors is very important in terms of sustainability. Uzbekistan is an attractive country not only for selling goods but also for manufacturing here. There is potential for products to be sold to the region near Uzbekistan. Being a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States provides certain advantages to companies manufacturing here. In this context, the construction sector can also find an important place for itself here," he explained. BTSO Machinery Council Chairman Cem Bozdağ stated that they can develop foreign trade volume with Uzbekistan within the framework of UR-GE activities. "It was a productive organization for our UR-GE companies and our country. Uzbekistan is a large market and we want to develop our market potential here. We are implementing our UR-GE projects in order to take our existing potential higher. The results obtained through our UR-GE projects are very successful. In this context, I would like to thank the Ministry of Commerce and our BTSO Management Board Chairman Mr. İbrahim Burkay and board members," he said. BTSO Chemistry Council Chairman and Board Member İlker Duran expressed that Turkey shows very good performance in exports and BTSO has an important share in this, concluding his remarks as follows: "Especially through UR-GE projects, practices that will serve as an example to Turkey are being implemented under BTSO's leadership. We made a deployment to Uzbekistan with 5 separate UR-GE projects from 4 different sectors. We also conducted bilateral business meetings with our Chemistry UR-GE project member companies. Uzbekistan's potential for doing business with Turkey is very high."