The President of Uzbekistan and the Head of the EBRD discussed the priorities of the strategic partnership

The business program of the first summit "Central Asia - European Union" began on April 3 with a meeting of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso.

The practical aspects of further development of full-scale cooperation of our country with this authoritative international financial institution were thoroughly considered.

The current highest level of relations of the strategic partnership of Uzbekistan and the EBRD was noted with deep satisfaction. The portfolio of joint projects in priority sectors is steadily growing. The Bank's total investments in the economy of our country exceeded 5 billion euros, including about 1 billion euros at the end of last year. The bulk of financial support falls on 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 work to improve the quality and increase the efficiency of project implementation were noted. The importance of optimizing procedures and accelerating project preparation was noted.

The focus was on expanding cooperation in key areas such as developing small and medium-sized businesses, supporting women's and youth entrepreneurship, expanding public-private partnership projects, including in the fields of education, water supply, and waste recycling.

Programs and projects in the fields of green economy, decarbonization, digitalization and artificial intelligence, development of the mortgage market, transport communications, and others were identified as priorities for interaction.

An exchange of views was also held on the preparation and holding of the Tashkent International Investment Forum and the next meeting of the Foreign Investors Council in June this year.