2009 Programs And Events
U.S. Trade Representative Official Visits Uzbekistan (04/29/2009)
Claudio Lilienfeld, the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, discussed issues of bilateral trade and investment when he met with senior government and business leaders during a visit to Uzbekistan on April 28-29.
Lilienfeld met with the Government of Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov and Nasriddin Najimov, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, along with leaders of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and chambers of commerce.
His goal was to better understand regional trade issues and identify opportunities to enhance trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, he said.
His visit to Uzbekistan was part of a tour of all five former Soviet Central Asian nations.
Lilienfeld said his meetings in Uzbekistan and throughout the region were very positive, and that he saw many opportunities to expand trade. He would be taking back to Washington, D.C., ideas that could be included in a reevaluation of U.S. trade policies affecting Central Asia and Afghanistan, he said.
“I see many opportunities for more commerce and trade between Uzbekistan and the United States,” he said. “I’m optimistic that we can work on this.”
Lilienfeld said it was obvious that the economy of Uzbekistan had grown enormously since he was last here in 1997. The fact that several large U.S. companies are doing business here – including General Motors and Boeing – and the Government of Uzbekistan’s stated interest in attracting more foreign direct investment are excellent signs that opportunities exist to expand trade, he said.
Among the obstacles to expanded trade with Uzbekistan are issues surrounding the convertibility between soum and U.S. dollars and some complicated customs procedures. Lillienfeld said he believed even slight changes to these policies could mitigate some of the problems.
He noted that Uzbekistan seems to be weathering the global economic crisis fairly well, and that further growth would be enhanced by greater trade within the region, as well as bilateral trade with the U.S. He also expressed the hope that Uzbekistan and the U.S. could find ways to strengthen economic ties to Afghanistan.
“We’re looking for opportunities to expand trade and commerce with Afghanistan,” he said. “It would be beneficial for both Uzbekistan and the United States to take part in this.”
The U.S. has Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) with the five Central Asian nations, but those agreements call for trade and investment issues to be addressed largely on a regional level. Lilienfeld said that process could be cumbersome, and that his office was considering whether it might be more productive to address issues more bilaterally, on a country-to-country basis.
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is a Cabinet-level position that serves as the President’s chief advisor and negotiator on foreign trade and investment issues. The USTR negotiates directly with foreign governments and is the U.S. representative to the World Trade Organization and other international organizations dealing with trade issues.
The USTR is tasked with expanding markets, negotiating trade policies and overseeing trade agreements.