Uzbekistan is showing interest in purchasing Belarusian flax fiber and in cooperating on leather processing, while Belarus is interested in systematically procuring a strategic product for the light industry — cotton. This was stated to journalists by Nadezhda Lazarevich, chair of the Bellegprom concern, who is taking part in the expanded-format negotiations between the leaders of the two countries in Minsk as part of the Belarusian delegation, a BELTA correspondent reports.

Among the package of documents being prepared is a protocol between the relevant government bodies on cooperation in the light industry sector. Nadezhda Lazarevich emphasized that it enshrines measures for developing real interaction between the parties and that a document of this level is being signed for the first time.

"Cotton is a strategic product for us, which we purchase in Uzbekistan — we buy yarn and fabrics. We have been working together for many years," she noted, speaking about cooperation at the current stage. In the future, the emergence of a dedicated government body in Uzbekistan will give an additional impetus to interaction. In 2025, an agency for the development of the light industry was established there under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan. "It has become much easier to interact. We understand that there is a counterpart on the other side with whom any issues can be discussed and specific matters can be resolved," she said.

Among such topical issues, for example, are the possibilities of joint work on leather processing. "They have systemic questions regarding the availability of leather and a shortage of processing capacity. We can be useful to them. We have unique competencies in processing more technologically advanced leather, with more modern approaches. This is extremely important for them. I think our competencies will be useful to them and we will increase mutual trade turnover," Nadezhda Lazarevich stressed.

Uzbekistan is also traditionally interested in purchasing certain types of fabrics from Belarus, including technical fabrics for workwear, for specific branches of the armed forces, as well as woolen and semi-woolen fabrics that are not produced in Uzbekistan.

A new promising area in light industry cooperation — Belarusian flax. These days a large delegation from Uzbekistan visited the Orsha flax complex, where the purchase of domestic flax fiber was discussed. "They are engaged in the production of blended fabrics and want to work with our flax. This is a new product that we haven't yet supplied to Uzbekistan in large volumes, and they are only now coming around to wanting to work with Belarusian flax," explained the head of Bellegprom. She suggested that the project with the Orsha flax complex for the shipment of finished fabric with the addition of flax and a product for fiber production will be implemented this year and continue to gain momentum in the future.