Uzbekistan and ADB Agree on New Directions for Cooperation in Innovation, Private Sector, and Water Management

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 17 November, the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Masato Kanda, held talks with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, Jamshid Kuchkarov.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Advisor to the ADB President, Keiichiro Inui, Head of the Bank’s Uzbekistan Office, Kanokpan Lao-Araya, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Ilhomjon Umrzakov, Director of the Mortgage Refinancing Company, Murod Farmonov, and other officials.

The discussions focused on priority areas of cooperation, with particular attention to the development of the mortgage market and the promotion of initiatives in innovation, the IT sector, and the startup ecosystem.

Special emphasis was placed on supporting “green growth,” including improving energy efficiency and implementing environmentally friendly technologies.

The talks also addressed prospects for expanding private sector participation, including through public-private partnership mechanisms, measures to improve water resource management and modernize irrigation infrastructure, as well as transport and logistics development issues.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides confirmed their intention to deepen mutually beneficial partnership and agreed to continue systematic joint work to achieve shared objectives.