Murad Askarov said modern economy consumes such volume of raw materials, first of all energy resources, that it create real threat to global consumption with all negative consequences. He cited rising deficit of fresh water, which is basic for agriculture production and life in Central Asia and other regions. He said currently Uzbekistan experience spray water deficit at the volume of 20-25% from normal demand.

Uzbek Ambassador said the country’s economic policy, which is carried out under leadership of the Uzbek President Islam Karimov, created “serious strength reserve, which will allow to minimize consequences of global financial crisis to the economy”.

He said Uzbekistan achieved food and energy independence in mid-1990s. Sustainable growth of gross domestic product (GDP) has been observed since 1996 and in last five years, its growth made up 7% in average.

Uzbekistan developed and started to realize several effective anti-crisis measures within national programme for 2009-2012. Among measures are re-capitalization of the banks and increasing liquidity of financial markets, state financing of large national infrastructure projects and targeted purchase of agriculture products.

Murad Askarov said Uzbekistan pays special attention to development of small and medium business. Share of small businesses in Uzbekistan’s GDP grew to 48.2% in 2008. This allowed to create about 660,000 new work places. It is planned to realize about 300 investment projects for US$24 billion within the programme of modernization and technical re-equipment of basic industries of the Uzbek economy.

Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan underlined that coordinated efforts, directed to creating universal and sustainable global financial system, should be undertaken to overcome financial and economic crisis. He said that it is necessary to form common foundations, on which new model of the global economic development, banking and financial activity, as well as international trade, should be built on. He added rich states should not focus only on solving their own problems.

Murad Askarov said the UN should play a key role in rehabilitation of global economy as unique international forum, legitimacy and authority of which acknowledged by all states of the world.