Uzbekistan and European Investment Bank Fast-Track 14 Joint Projects

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On the sidelines of the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum (TMIF-2026), Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjayev held a meeting with Marek Mora, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The negotiations coincided with a historic milestone in bilateral relations: the official inauguration of the EIB's permanent Regional Representation for Central Asia in Tashkent, marking the Bank’s first institutional office in the region.

The Vice-Premier emphasized that this milestone serves as a strong vote of confidence from European financial institutions in Uzbekistan’s comprehensive national reforms, confirming the country's long-term development prospects.

Since the signing of their Framework Agreement in 2017, the partnership between Uzbekistan and the EIB has maintained a steady upward trajectory. To date, the joint portfolio encompasses 14 large-scale financial, credit, and advisory support projects totaling approximately $952 million.

These investment programs cover sectors critical to the nation's modernization, including renewable and hydro energy, transport corridor upgrades, digital connectivity, water resource management, environmental sustainability, private sector backing, and the creation of basic regional infrastructure.

During the session, the delegations thoroughly reviewed the implementation status of current initiatives and analyzed the parameters of prospective infrastructure operations.

Project working groups focused closely on high-tech and environmental programs, including the deployment of satellite internet to eliminate the digital divide in remote rural areas, the procurement of modern high-speed electric trains, the deep modernization of national irrigation systems, and the comprehensive ecological restoration of the Aral Sea basin.

Jamshid Khodjayev highlighted that the EIB remains a key vehicle for Uzbekistan’s "green transition," driving the global economic competitiveness of the country. Both parties expressed strong confidence that the physical presence of the fully operational Tashkent office will significantly accelerate project preparation and practical implementation on the ground.