President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The sides discussed expanding strategic cooperation and noted that Uzbekistan has strengthened its status as the bank’s largest partner in Central Asia. This was reported by podrobno.uz. reports .
The meeting noted that the EBRD’s investments in Uzbekistan’s economy have reached nearly $7 billion. The bank’s activity is also increasing: by the end of 2025, the volume of operations exceeded $1 billion. A significant share of the funds was directed to supporting the private sector, giving a boost to entrepreneurship, it was said.
The President highly praised the bank’s contribution to the country’s key reforms. In particular, cooperation results were noted in modernizing transport infrastructure, advancing “green” energy programs, and deeply reforming the financial market. It was emphasized that the EBRD remains an important partner in supporting environmental initiatives and financing businesses.
Priority areas of cooperation for this year were identified. They include further development of the private sector and improvement of the business environment, upgrading regional infrastructure, digital transformation of rail transport (the “smart railways” project), as well as support for innovative startups.
Special attention during the talks was paid to social capital. The sides agreed to continue programs that train women and youth in modern professions. These initiatives are expected to help them adapt to the digital economy and strengthen modern business management skills among women entrepreneurs.
At the end of the meeting, the sides expressed confidence that new high-tech projects moving into the implementation stage in 2026 will further strengthen Uzbekistan’s position as the region’s economic leader.
Earlier, as part of his Davos visit, Shavkat Mirziyoyev also met with BlackRock board member and Senior Managing Director Adebayo Ogunlesi to discuss mechanisms for expanding the world’s largest investment fund’s participation in Uzbekistan’s economy.
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