Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - On 1 February 2021, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov held a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank led by the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Lilia Burunchuk to discuss the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the current state of bilateral cooperation, the progress of projects, as well as promising directions for expanding the activities of the World Bank in Uzbekistan. In particular, it was noted that in the first half of 2020, more than US$1 billion of the Bank's borrowed funds were disbursed, which, according to representatives of the World Bank, is one of the best indicators in the region.

The Uzbek side emphasized the timely and effective support of the World Bank in the implementation of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, support business activities and promote important socio-economic reforms in the context of a pandemic. In this context, it was emphasized that it was thanks to consistent work in these areas that Uzbekistan became one of the few countries that, despite the negative impact of the pandemic on the world economy, managed to achieve economic growth in 2020.

Also, during the meeting, issues of preparation of the projects being worked out and upcoming events to form a new program of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the World Bank for the next five years were considered.

Special attention was paid to the upcoming high-level trilateral talks with the participation of government delegations from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, dedicated to discussing the practical aspects of the implementation of the project for the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway. Lilia Burunchuk, stressing the strategic importance of this project in the context of ensuring dynamic economic growth, strengthening regional ties and dramatically increasing the transit potential of Central Asian countries, said that the leadership of the World Bank shares its importance and welcomes the commitment and decisive efforts of the Government of Uzbekistan to promote it.

As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached on strengthening partnership based on the priority areas of sustainable development of Uzbekistan with a special emphasis on the development of entrepreneurial activities, modernization of infrastructure and social sphere.