Uzbekistan and French Groupe Huit Discuss Sustainable Urban Development in Regions

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 17 December 2025, a meeting took place between Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov and Josse Guillaume, Project Director and Urban Planning Specialist of the French company Groupe Huit, with participation from representatives of the World Bank.

The discussion also involved World Bank Senior Urban Development Specialist Muhammad Nada, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Ilkhom Norkulov, officials from the hokimiyats of Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions, and other responsible parties.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on developing new spatial and master plans aimed at sustainable infrastructure development, evidence-based management of urban expansion, implementation of modern infrastructure solutions, and enhancing the economic potential of regions while considering national approaches and local characteristics. Special attention was given to incorporating advanced international urban planning practices.

Key areas of focus included planning urban and district infrastructure, defining strategic directions for territorial development, creating resilient engineering and utility systems, rational land use, implementing modern urban planning solutions with ecological safety and green development principles in mind, and designing a new residential district in Kamasi based on international standards and advanced methodologies.

Josse Guillaume presented preliminary research results and data on the spatial development strategy for Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions, including functional zoning, identifying no-build zones, city modernization, promoting rational and dense development within existing infrastructure, and prospective proposals for implementing these initiatives.

Following the negotiations, both sides agreed to continue developing cooperation and work systematically to achieve the set goals.