The President of Uzbekistan and the head of the EBRD discussed the priorities of strategic partnership
The business program of the first "Central Asia – European Union" summit began on April 3 with a meeting between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud-Basso.
The practical aspects of further developing full-scale cooperation between our country and this esteemed international financial institution were thoroughly discussed.
With deep satisfaction, the current highest level of strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the EBRD was noted. The portfolio of joint projects in priority sectors is steadily growing. The total investments of the Bank in the economy of our country have exceeded 5 billion euros, including approximately 1 billion euros in the past year. The majority of the financial support is directed towards the private sector.
The medium-term Country Partnership Strategy is being effectively implemented. With the expert assistance of the EBRD, measures are being taken to transform the banking sector and expand opportunities for business.
During the meeting, the results of joint efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of project implementation were highlighted. The importance of optimizing procedures and accelerating project preparation was emphasized.
The focus was on expanding cooperation in key areas such as the development of small and medium-sized businesses, support for female and youth entrepreneurship, the expansion of public-private partnership projects, including in education, water supply, and household waste processing.
Priorities for cooperation include programs and projects in the fields of "green" economy, decarbonization, digitalization, artificial intelligence, mortgage market development, transportation communications, and others.
There was also an exchange of views on the preparation and holding of the Tashkent International Investment Forum and the next meeting of the Foreign Investors Council in June this year.
