Ukrainian and Uzbek companies intend to expand cooperation in mechanical engineering, energy, IT, the food industry, and the textile industry. Participants at the Ukrainian-Uzbek Business Forum, which took place on July 13, 2026, in Lviv, discussed prospects for implementing joint projects.
According to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the forum was opened by Gennady Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Davron Vakhobov, Chairman of the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event was attended by approximately 90 representatives from the business community, government agencies, industry associations, and chambers of commerce and industry from both countries.
Alisher Kurmanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Ukraine, also took part in the forum. The participation of the head of the Uzbek diplomatic mission underscored the intergovernmental level of the meeting and Tashkent’s interest in developing direct contacts with Ukrainian businesses. Kurmanov has headed the Uzbek Embassy in Ukraine since 2020.
The forum participants were addressed by Khristina Kalish, head of the Department of Economic Policy of the Lviv Regional Military Administration; Natalia Karpenchuk-Konopatskaya, vice president of the Lviv Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mirziyod Yunusov, chairman of the “Uzeltexsanoat” Association; Mirziyod Yunusov, Oleg Revchuk, head of the Ukrainian side of the Ukrainian-Uzbek Business Council, and Erkindjon Malikov, chairman of the Association of Exporters of Uzbekistan.
According to Chizhikov, the interest of Uzbek partners extends beyond traditional supplies of food and pharmaceutical products.
“We are ready to offer high-value-added niches—machinery manufacturing, energy equipment, and IT solutions for ‘smart’ cities. This is the level of cooperation that matches the ambitions of both our countries,” stated the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Participants identified the development of new logistics routes between Ukraine and Central Asia as one of the main areas of cooperation. The Ukrainian side views Uzbekistan as a regional transportation and trade hub that can provide access to the markets of neighboring countries.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposed that Uzbek logistics operators and customs services work together to create “green corridors.” Such routes could speed up the delivery of Ukrainian agricultural and food products to Uzbekistan, as well as the transport of Uzbek textiles through Ukraine to European countries.
Forum participants held direct B2B negotiations. Promising areas of cooperation identified included pharmaceuticals, machinery and industrial equipment manufacturing, energy, agricultural processing, food products, textiles, chemical products, and digital solutions for municipal services.
Industrial cooperation holds additional potential. Ukrainian companies can supply Uzbekistan with energy and technological equipment, components, pharmaceutical products, and value-added agricultural products. Uzbek enterprises, in turn, are interested in expanding exports of textiles, raw cotton, polymer materials, fertilizers, and other chemical products.
The legal framework for investment cooperation is provided by a bilateral agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments, signed in 1993. A preferential trade regime is also in effect between the countries, and imports of goods from Ukraine to Uzbekistan are exempt from customs duties under existing free trade agreements.
According to data from the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, trade turnover between Ukraine and Uzbekistan reached $315 million in 2025, an increase of 14% compared to 2024. Ukrainian exports totaled $186.5 million. Based on these figures, imports of Uzbek goods into Ukraine can be estimated at approximately $128.5 million, and Ukraine’s trade surplus at approximately $58 million.
Thus, the latest complete annual data indicate a trade volume of about $315 million. This figure remains significantly below the potential of the two markets; however, the 14% growth indicates a gradual recovery of economic ties.
Ukrainian exports to Uzbekistan consist primarily of pharmaceutical products, machinery and equipment, meat and meat products, confectionery, and other food products. Ukraine imports mainly textiles, cotton and textile raw materials, polymer materials, fertilizers, and chemical products from Uzbekistan.
In the medium term, growth in trade volume will depend on shipping costs and transit times, the restoration of reliable transport corridors, the availability of cargo insurance, and companies’ ability to organize regular shipments. Uzbekistan could become one of the main gateways for Ukrainian manufacturers to Central Asian markets, while Ukraine is of interest to Uzbek businesses as a potential route to the EU market.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a non-governmental, self-governing organization representing the interests of Ukrainian businesses. The Chamber promotes exports, organizes business missions, and provides services related to product certification, force majeure certification, international arbitration, and the search for foreign partners.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan represents the interests of the republic’s entrepreneurs, participates in the development of exports, the attraction of investments, the organization of business missions, and the establishment of contacts between Uzbek and foreign companies.
The “Uzeltexsanoat” Association brings together enterprises in Uzbekistan’s textile, apparel, and knitwear industries. It participates in the modernization of enterprises, the development of value-added cotton processing, and the promotion of finished textile products to foreign markets.
The Uzbekistan Exporters Association provides companies with support in entering foreign markets, finding buyers, and organizing export shipments.
BUSINESS FORUM, LVIV, UKRAINE, UZBEKISTAN, Vakhobov, ЧИЖИКОВ
A Ukrainian business delegation will visit Belgrade on May 19–21, 2026, as part of a visit to Serbia by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced.
The main business event of the trip will be the Ukrainian-Serbian Business Forum, which is intended to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between companies from both countries, establishing new contacts, and discussing practical areas of economic cooperation.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry invites companies from the agro-industrial sector, fertilizer production, construction, the electrical engineering industry, agricultural machinery manufacturing, energy, and other sectors to participate.
The mission’s program includes B2B meetings with Serbian companies, visits to enterprises, the search for new partners, and discussions on joint projects.
Registration is open at the following link: https://forms.gle/gkyXVSa2E8vnzQTd8
Contact person: Valeria Zabashta, +380 50 366 4997.
For Ukrainian businesses, Serbia may be of interest not only as a separate market but also as a logistics and manufacturing hub for accessing the Western Balkan countries—North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and other markets in the region.
The most practical areas for cooperation could include the agro-industrial complex, food processing, construction materials, energy equipment, agricultural machinery, electrical products, logistics, and industrial cooperation. The participation of Serbian companies in projects to restore Ukrainian infrastructure, energy systems, and industrial facilities may be of particular interest in the future.
The involvement of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry creates an institutional channel for developing bilateral business contacts, including issues related to certification, finding reliable partners, logistics, B2B communication, and support for joint projects.
The Ukrainian delegation’s visit to Belgrade could be a step toward shifting Ukrainian-Serbian economic relations to a more practical business plane and expanding the presence of Ukrainian businesses in the markets of Southeast Europe.
The Ukrainian-Latvian Business Forum was held at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during which the parties discussed cooperation in defense, energy, infrastructure, technology, and investment, and held a series of B2B meetings. Following the event, nine memorandums were signed, seven of which were in the military and dual-use sectors, and two in the trade sector.
The forum was attended by Ukrainian Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev, Latvian Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis, Latvian Ambassador to Ukraine Andrejs Pildegovičs, Gennadiy Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Aigars Rostovskis, President of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; representatives of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency; and representatives of Ukrainian and Latvian businesses. The program also included a plenary session, a business session, separate panel discussions on defense, technology, energy, and infrastructure, as well as an AirBaltic workshop for Ukrainian companies.
Speaking at the forum, Gennadiy Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized that the event signals a shift from political support to substantive economic cooperation. “Today’s forum is a very important signal for our business communities. It shows that Ukraine and Latvia are not limited to political support or general declarations. We are shaping a concrete agenda for economic cooperation—substantive, sector-specific, and results-oriented,” he said.
According to Chizhikov, for the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cooperation with Latvia has a practical dimension, particularly in terms of expanding partnerships between companies, forming new production chains, promoting investment projects, and cooperation in sectors that will shape the economy of the future. He specifically noted that the forum’s program focuses on areas where both countries can achieve the greatest mutual added value—defense, energy and infrastructure, technology, investment cooperation, and practical B2B contacts.
Speaking about defense cooperation, Chizhikov stated that Ukraine today is not only a country that is defending itself but also a country that generates new solutions in the fields of security, defense technologies, and dual-use developments. “We are convinced that Ukrainian-Latvian cooperation in the field of defense tech can include joint development, technological cooperation, the integration of engineering solutions, and the creation of new products for the European security market,” he noted.
Separately, the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized the potential for cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure, and technology. According to him, Ukraine is interested in partnering with Latvian companies in the fields of energy efficiency, energy services, infrastructure restoration, logistics, municipal solutions, the digital economy, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and innovative entrepreneurship. He also highlighted the practical nature of the forum as a platform for negotiations, project presentations, and the launch of new partnerships.
“Our main message today is simple and clear: Ukraine and Latvia can achieve much more together. We can invest together. We can produce together. We can enter new markets together. And we can create a new economic reality together, in which the Ukrainian-Latvian partnership will be one of the examples of successful European economic cooperation,” Chizhikov stated.
He added that the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to continue serving as an institutional partner for Latvian businesses in finding contacts, supporting projects, developing B2B dialogue, and deepening inter-chamber cooperation.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Japanese Ambassador to Kyiv Masashi Nakagome discussed the upcoming Ukrainian-Japanese business forum scheduled for the fall, as well as preparations for the arrival of two Japanese business missions.
“Today I met with Japanese Ambassador Masashi Nakagome. On August 5, Ukraine will celebrate its National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka. This special event will be an expression of our sincere gratitude to the international community for its continued support,“ she wrote on social media on Friday, noting that she thanked the ambassador for the invitation but would remain in Kyiv, ”where my team and I are finalizing our government’s action plan.”
According to Svyrydenko, at the meeting with the ambassador, “we discussed the upcoming Ukrainian-Japanese business forum scheduled for the fall, as well as preparations for the arrival of two Japanese business missions.” The prime minister noted that work on the investment agreement “is progressing well, and our goal is to sign it this fall.”
Svyrydenko also said that another important topic was Japan’s potential participation in the Cultural Resilience Alliance, an international initiative founded by Ukraine to support cultural recovery and resilience in times of war.
“We deeply value our partnership with Japan and look forward to strengthening our cooperation in the areas of investment, culture, and post-war recovery,” she emphasized.
The World Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka, Japan. It will last for six months in 2025: from April 13 to October 13. The theme of the exhibition is “Designing Future Societies for Our Lives,” with sub-themes of “Saving Lives,” “Expanding Life Chances,” and “Connecting Lives.”
The international business forum “Vision of Ukraine 2030” dedicated to post-war scenarios of Ukraine’s future development will be held in Kiev on July 24, according to the forum’s website.
It will be attended by leading Ukrainian statesmen and representatives of international financial organizations, representatives of state authorities, including regulators who determine the vector of development of the entire country. Founders and heads of innovative educational institutions, successful businessmen, experts in finance, taxation, digital transformation and other key areas will be present.
The main issues to be discussed will be the European future of Ukraine, a new economic model, digital transformation of the banking system, sports, culture and art after the war, fair permanent taxes, and the role of the human factor in the development of the state;
The forum will become a unique permanent platform for exchanging ideas, establishing strategic partnerships and forming a joint contribution to the ambitious plan to build a new European Ukraine after the victory, the information says.
A detailed program and list of speakers is available at: https://www.vu2030.kyiv.ua
On June 12, Kyiv hosted the business forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2024”, which brought together representatives of agribusiness, processing, supply, finance and investment, government agencies, experts and bloggers. We are grateful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for this opportunity!
We are grateful to the guests, participants, partners and sponsors of the Forum from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and other cities and towns of Ukraine who attended the business forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2024” and joined the discussion of crucial issues that help businesses move from confrontation to cooperation, provide new opportunities for scaling and development of entire sectors of the Ukrainian economy!
The Forum highlighted the issues that hinder the development of the Grain – Pigs – Meat value chain, held active discussions, proposed solutions and provided effective tools.
Forum participants learned about:
– The importance of developing industries that create added value in Ukraine’s economy in times of war, with raw material exports blocked, expensive logistics, and a cheap price for the raw material itself and its minimal added value
– The possibility of replacing grain exports with exports of meat and meat products, which are high value-added goods.
– The state and prospects of the pig and meat industry in Ukraine during and after the war.
– The next stages of implementation of the New Pig Breeding of Ukraine program, which envisages a fourfold increase in the number of pigs, from 6 to 12 billion euros of added value.
– Possibility of eradicating ASF in Ukraine through vaccine prevention, lifting the stamping out in industrial pig production and unblocking pork exports.
– Establishment of an international consortium to support ASF control measures in Ukraine and Europe.
– Adaptation of pig production in Ukraine to a possible decline in pig prices due to overproduction in the absence of pork exports.
– Investment opportunities for the meat industry, pig production and farmers.
– Newest and digital technologies for pig production and meat processing.
– The Family Pig Farms social project, which will help war veterans start a successful pig farming business.
– Opportunities to obtain additional funding, grants, and investment.
– Training of highly qualified personnel for meat industry enterprises.
– Implementation of a mechanism for cooperation between producers and processors to protect profitability throughout the chain.
We call for cooperation for the development of Ukraine and believe in Ukrainians who, even in the most difficult times, do their best to rebuild our country. Only together we can make the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex stronger, more sustainable and competitive in the global market!
