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By Trend

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the law on accession of Uzbekistan to the International Plant Protection Convention, Trend reports citing Uzbek media.

The document will allow organizing the work of the national phytosanitary system according to international standards.

The law was passed by the Legislative Chamber on December 9 and approved by the Senate on December 14. Its signing will strengthen the efficiency of the public plant quarantine service.

The accession of Uzbekistan to the convention will have a positive impact on strengthening phytosanitary security in the country and enhancing export potential. It will also allow increasing the amount of technical assistance from international organizations in the form of consultations and financial resources for improving the phytosanitary system and implementing international standards in the country.

The International Plant Protection Convention covers all transboundary movements of plants or plant products. The agreement protects cultivated and wild plants by preventing the introduction and spreading of pests.

The Convention was adopted on December 6, 1951 at the 6th conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and to date, 183 countries have joined it. It promotes the safe trade of plant products between different countries by managing phytosanitary risks.

The standards stipulated by the convention regarding the movement of pests apply to land, water and air transport, containers, storage facilities, soil, wood packaging and other objects used as storage.

According to the Uzbek side, in 2018, the volume of exports of fruits and vegetables from the country grew by almost 1.4 times - up to 1.2 million tons and reached $874.5 million. Deliveries to the Russia account for about 40 percent of total exports. The Uzbek authorities intend to double export of fruits and vegetables by 2021.

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