Outcomes of China-Ukraine Stevia Industry Cooperation Negotiations

Uzbekistan's Director of the Department of China Cooperation, Ikhthiar, and Agriculture Minister Akmal Zhong, along with their delegation, visited China once again, gathering in Urumqi to jointly explore in-depth cooperation in the stevia agricultural sector and collaborate on promoting the coordinated upgrading and high-quality development of industries between China and Uzbekistan.

The discussions yielded remarkable results, with both parties reaching a high degree of consensus on key collaboration directions and identifying the following priorities for subsequent work:

First, select four states to plan and construct stevia planting demonstration fields, with dedicated high-quality planting plots suitable for the growth of appropriate varieties, to solidify the foundation for industrial implementation;

The second is to coordinate the import and export of stevia seedlings at the high level, specifically liaising with the Ministry of Agriculture of China to facilitate approval negotiations;

Third, clarify special preferential policies for core production factors such as taxation, water supply, and power supply, and strengthen support measures;

Fourth, jointly establish a stevia technology joint laboratory, focusing on variety improvement, production capacity enhancement, and the transformation of scientific research achievements to strengthen the industry's core competitiveness;

Fifth, we must closely align with the Belt and Road Initiative, ensure the legal and compliant implementation of cooperative projects, and achieve long-term and stable progress;

Sixth, deepen collaboration with local universities and research institutions to build an innovation ecosystem integrating industry, academia, and research, thereby facilitating the iterative upgrading of industrial technologies.