Uzbekistan plans to sell state stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 18-19 September 2018, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan hosted meetings with representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), The Coca-Cola Company (USA) and Coca-Cola İçecek (Turkey), to discuss cooperation opportunities and initiate preliminary discussions regarding attracting a strategic investor for Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan Ltd. (CCBU).

57.1% of CCBU is owned by the Uzbekistan state Holding Company Ozbekoziqovqatxolding and 42.9% by The Coca-Cola Export Corporation.

CCBU operates in Uzbekistan since 1993 and has three factories in the cities of Tashkent, Namangan and Urgench. The factories have 10 functioning production lines producing 9 varieties of beverages under the brands Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Bonaqua and Fuse Tea. CCBU is the only food industry enterprise in Uzbekistan which has 4 international ISO quality certificates.

The EBRD invested €894 million in 54 projects in Uzbekistan between 1992 and 2010. Following the re-engagement after significant changes in the country, by the end of 2017 the Bank had signed its first six new operations in the country since 2010 for a total of over €153 million.