President of Uzbekistan Highlights Partnership Priorities with the World Bank

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 17 September, in Namangan, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva, Global Director of the World Bank.

At the start of the talks, the distinguished guest conveyed greetings and best wishes from Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, and congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the successful organization of the International Forum “From Poverty to Prosperity.”

The parties discussed the further expansion of strategic partnership with the World Bank, focusing primarily on poverty reduction, which is the first Sustainable Development Goal. It was emphasized that cooperation with this global financial institution has reached a high level of practical effectiveness.

Special attention was given to the implementation of the Country Program: Uzbekistan is one of the Bank’s leading partners in the macro-region, with a joint project portfolio already exceeding US$14 billion. With the World Bank’s support, a methodology for assessing poverty levels has been developed, and a joint diagnosis of poverty and social equity indicators is currently underway in the country.

During the meeting, it was proposed to prepare a joint project under the program “From Poverty to Prosperity,” which would include practical measures for creating jobs for women and youth, modernizing social infrastructure in urban and rural areas, and developing tourism.

Additionally, the discussions covered the promotion of private sector projects, the development of medium-term programs, conducting a population census, and other priority areas.