TASHKENT (TCA) — Uzbekistan has succeeded in growing its economy over the past decade, lifting many people out of poverty and improving the lives of its citizens, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Cyril Muller said during his visit to Uzbekistan on January 20, the World Bank reported.
Mr. Muller met with newly elected President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Mr. Sodiq Safaev, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan and other senior government officials. In his discussion with President Mirziyoyev, Mr. Muller focused on the World Bank Group’s current and future support to Uzbekistan, specifically on promoting new and better jobs, diversifying agriculture, improving education, and developing the country’s business climate to enable small and medium enterprises to grow.
The meeting with Minister of Finance Botyr Khodjaev and Minister of Economy Galina Saidova focused on the status of implementation of existing World Bank financed projects in Uzbekistan, in sectors such as energy, water, infrastructure and the preparation of the future projects in the areas of education, water resources management and public administration.
The World Bank Group partnership with Uzbekistan is anchored in the Country Partnership Framework for 2016-2020, approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in June 2016. The Framework allows for a significant scaling up of the World Bank Group program in Uzbekistan. This strategy is aligned with the country’s own goal of achieving upper middle-income status by 2030 by increasing the economy’s competitiveness, improving the business environment, and developing its infrastructure to support rapid job creation.
Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in 1992. The World Bank’s mission in the country is to improve people’s livelihoods by being a partner in economic reforms, supporting the modernization of the country’s social sector and infrastructure, and by sharing its knowledge and experience with the government and the people of Uzbekistan. Current World Bank commitments to Uzbekistan amount to approximately US$ 1.9 billion.
