Shavkat Mirziyoyev and EBRD President Discussed Cooperation

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held a meeting with Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), within the framework of the World Economic Forum taking place in Davos. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

During the meeting, the parties discussed issues related to expanding strategic cooperation. It was also emphasized that Uzbekistan has become the bank's largest partner in Central Asia.

It was noted at the meeting that the volume of investments made by the EBRD in the Uzbek economy has reached nearly 7 billion dollars. The bank's activities have been increasing year by year, with the volume of operations exceeding 1 billion dollars by 2025.

It was highlighted that a large part of these funds has been directed towards supporting the private sector and has had a positive impact on the development of entrepreneurship. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highly appreciated the EBRD's activities in modernizing transport infrastructure, promoting "green" energy programs, and reforming the financial market.

The bank's role in supporting environmental initiatives and financing private business was also acknowledged. The main directions of cooperation for the coming year were outlined.

In particular, developing the private sector, renewing regional infrastructure, digitalizing railway transport (the "smart railways" project), and supporting innovative startups were identified as important tasks. The issue of developing social capital also occupied a significant place in the negotiations.

It was agreed to continue programs for training women and youth in modern professions. These initiatives are aimed at adapting them to the digital economy and strengthening the business skills of female entrepreneurs.

At the end of the meeting, confidence was expressed in further strengthening Uzbekistan's economic leadership position in the region by implementing new high-tech projects by 2026. It was also previously reported that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with the leadership of BlackRock in Davos to discuss expanding the participation of this international investment fund in the Uzbek economy.