As part of his official visit to Belgium, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held a roundtable discussion with the heads of leading European companies and banks.
The meeting was attended by the leadership of "Vandewiele", "Linde", "Rhenus Logistics", "Ahlers Logistics", "Lasselsberger Group", "Pietro Fiorentini", "NextChem", "Meridiam", "SUEZ", "FMO", "European Investment Bank", "Commerzbank", "KfW", "Textima", "Chimcomplex", "Metso" and other companies and corporations.
The Head of State specifically emphasized that the participation of leading European companies in the event is an expression of high mutual trust and a striving for long-term partnership.
It was noted that the signing of the agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation will usher in a new era in relations between Uzbekistan and the EU.
In the past seven years, trade turnover has doubled, and the number of joint ventures with European capital has exceeded one thousand. These indicators testify to the growing confidence of investors in the economic reforms in Uzbekistan.
It was noted that European partners are contributing to the modernization and fundamental reform of the Uzbek economy, the introduction of advanced technologies and corporate governance standards, and the development of innovative production.
The President paid special attention to the issues of developing human capital. Opportunities for young people to receive higher education have significantly expanded. New higher education institutions have been established, branches of foreign universities have been opened, and joint educational programs with European partners are being implemented.
During the meeting, the Head of State outlined four key areas for deepening cooperation.
Uzbekistan is interested in jointly implementing projects for the development and deep processing of strategic raw materials and minerals to produce high value-added finished products.
The "Green Economy" and the chemical industry are also promising areas for cooperation. The country is actively introducing renewable energy and modernizing its energy system. European partners were invited to participate in "green" energy, energy efficiency, and environmental chemistry projects.
It was also emphasized that the development of infrastructure and logistics is of paramount importance. Uzbekistan is modernizing its transport network, including roads, railways, and airports. The country is ready to implement joint projects to develop transit routes and establish modern logistics centers connecting Europe and Asia.
Special attention was paid to the digital economy and information technology sector. Uzbekistan is developing IT parks and startup incubators and is ready to cooperate with European companies in the fields of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The roundtable participants, in turn, highly appreciated the transparent and stable conditions created for investments in the country and confirmed their readiness to participate in the implementation of new joint projects and initiatives in our country.
