EIB Opens Tashkent Hub With €1 Billion Uzbekistan Pipeline

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The European Investment Bank has opened a regional office in Tashkent for Central Asia, institutionalizing a growing commitment to the region that now encompasses a project portfolio approaching €3 billion — with roughly €1 billion of that earmarked for Uzbekistan alone across transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and critical raw materials.

EIB Vice President Marek Mora attended the inauguration ceremony, noting the bank's expanding investment activity in Central Asia and the growth of its project portfolio under the European Union's Global Gateway infrastructure initiative — Brussels' strategic answer to competing connectivity frameworks in Eurasia.

A Decade of Engagement, Now With a Permanent Address

The EIB has operated in the region since 2009, with activities spanning Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The decision to open a dedicated regional office signals a shift from episodic project engagement to sustained, on-the-ground partnership — one that bank representatives say will accelerate interactions with partners and improve the efficiency of project delivery across Central Asia.

The bank operates in the region through EIB Global, its international arm responsible for financing projects outside the European Union and supporting sustainable development in infrastructure, energy, water, and digital systems.

Uzbekistan's €1 Billion Pipeline

Potential projects in Uzbekistan are valued at approximately €1 billion and span five sectors: transport, climate initiatives, energy, digital infrastructure, and critical raw materials — the last of which reflects growing European interest in securing supply chains for minerals essential to the green energy transition. Several projects are linked to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the Middle Corridor connecting Central Asia to European markets via the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus.

On the advisory side, the EIB is already working with Uzbek state water utility Uzsuvtaminot on the preparation of a wastewater treatment plant project in Tashkent with a capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day — an example of the bank's expanded consulting role in project preparation and investment mobilization.

Institutional Endorsements

Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov welcomed the office opening as expanding the country's access to international financing and expertise for large infrastructure projects. EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Toivo Klaar framed the EIB's strengthened Tashkent presence as advancing the practical implementation of the Global Gateway strategy and deepening EU-Uzbekistan cooperation.

The opening adds a permanent European institutional voice to Tashkent's rapidly expanding multilateral financial landscape, where the World Bank, EBRD, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have all deepened their Uzbekistan engagement in recent months.