This April 2015, UCMTF, the French textile machinery manufacturers ´association was invited by Ilkhom KHAYDAROV, Uzbek Minister in charge of the textile industry and Chairman of the Board of the state joint-stock company for the light industry ´Uzbekyengilsanoat´, to organise two seminars in Uzbekistan. Led by Christian GUINET and Evelyne CHOLET, Vice-President International and Secretary General of UCMTF, the French delegation of seven companies included N. Schlumberger, Laroche, Superba, Stäubli, Aesa Air Engineering, Callebaut De Blicquy and Rousselet. The seminars which were very well attended by the Uzbek textile companies took place in Tashkent and Bukhara. The strategy of UCMTF is to organise such events as close as possible to the textile production centres. It was not the first time the French machinery manufacturers came to Uzbekistan, they organised a pavilion at CAITME in Tashkent in 2005 (the first foreign pavilion to be organised in this fair) and already held two seminars in the capital of Uzbekistan.
The new 2015 initiative was intended have direct contacts with the Uzbek producers at a turning point of their development. Uzbekistan is planning to increase the added value of this production, thanks to the manufacturing of yarns, fabrics and finished goods. Therefore machinery for spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing with state-of-the-art technologies and services are needed.