Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov met with a delegation of the United States of America led by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu.

During the talks, a broad agenda of political and economic partnership between the two countries was considered. It was noted that in recent years tangible progress has been achieved in all areas of bilateral and regional cooperation, without exception, the foundation of which was laid during the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to the United States in May 2018.

It was emphasized that in eleven months of 2021, trade between the two countries increased by 48.5% compared to the same period in 2020. In addition, over the past few years, the number of enterprises with American capital in Uzbekistan has doubled.

The parties expressed interest in attracting US investors and large companies for the implementation of joint projects in Uzbekistan. The parties expressed their readiness to hold a business forum for representatives of the US and Uzbek business communities in the first half of 2022, together with the American-Uzbek Chamber of Commerce (AUCC). 

During the meeting, the most promising areas for further expansion of bilateral economic partnership were identified, including the mining industry, the chemical industry, agriculture, the textile industry and other areas.

The parties considered the possibilities of building up interaction between the US Financial Corporation for International Development (DFC) and the Direct Investment Fund of Uzbekistan, meaning the development of mechanisms for the joint implementation of investment projects in Uzbekistan.

The Uzbek side welcomed the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative and expressed its readiness to cooperate within the framework of this initiative to implement promising joint projects in four key areas: development of renewable energy sources, digitalization, healthcare and the promotion of gender equality.

Appreciation was expressed for the technical and consulting assistance rendered to Uzbekistan in the issue of the country's accession to the World Trade Organization. During the conversation, the prospects for the implementation of the technical assistance project on the digitalization of the sphere of investment policy and public services were considered.

Following the meeting, the parties expressed their commitment to an active dialogue on all the issues discussed in order to accelerate the advancement of the agreed programs and initiatives.