Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan has the highest number of labor migrants in Central Asia, with most working in Russia and Kazakhstan.

The World Bank is supporting the Uzbek government’s efforts to develop migrants’ professional and language skills while ensuring the protection of their rights and interests.

As part of this cooperation, an Uzbek delegation visited the Philippines—one of the world's top ten countries in terms of labor migration.

According to the World Bank, the delegation included representatives from the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Agency for Social Protection.

During the visit, discussions focused on the Philippine government’s policies and programs regulating labor migration. The Uzbek delegation held productive meetings with representatives of the Department of Migrant Workers, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Key discussion topics included the functions and services of these organizations, legal mechanisms for protecting the rights of Filipino labor migrants in destination countries, professional skills development, reintegration of returning migrants, migration data management, and other related issues.

The World Bank will use the findings from this visit to determine areas for further technical support to Uzbek authorities in the field of labor migration and to explore opportunities for expanding cooperation with relevant government agencies in the Philippines.