Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 21 November 2019, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the United Kingdom, Said Rustamov, met with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti.

During the negotiations, issues of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EBRD were discussed within the framework of the Bank’s five-year Country Strategy for Uzbekistan, adopted in October 2018. The document envisages the expansion of the EBRD’s activities in the country, which is primarily due to the recognition by this authoritative financial organization of the large-scale reforms carried out in Uzbekistan.

Suma Chakrabarti noted the readiness of the bank to further increase the country portfolio of Uzbekistan. In addition to the three additional loan agreements worth US$246 million signed on the eve of the year in Tashkent on the implementation of large socially significant projects in Navoi, Kashkadarya and Khorezm regions, expansion of assistance to projects in the field of private entrepreneurship and human capital development is envisaged.

In this regard, in addition to the current EBRD office in Tashkent and the recently opened in Andijan, the bank is considering opening its representative office in Karakalpakstan next year. Suma Chakrabarti plans to discuss these and other issues of cooperation in person during a planned visit to the republic in the first half of 2020.