Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 20 January 2025, the Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Laziz Kudratov, held talks with the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr. Akihiko Tanaka.

During the meeting, the role of JICA in the dynamic development of Uzbek-Japanese strategic partnership was highly appreciated, and the Agency’s steadfast commitment to implementing new projects in Uzbekistan was emphasized.

With the support of JICA, projects worth a total of US$3.7 billion have been implemented in Uzbekistan, covering key sectors of the economy such as energy, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and healthcare.

Building on the successful experience of cooperation, new opportunities for financing projects in energy, healthcare, human capital development, and the creation of new free economic zones in the regions of the country were discussed.

Additionally, since 2022, JICA has been implementing the Private Sector Investment Financing (PSIF) program in Uzbekistan, which supports investment projects without state guarantees. The parties agreed to develop a new portfolio of promising projects under this program.

The progress of the Program, signed last year and consisting of 20 projects totaling US$2.4 billion, was also reviewed.

At the end of the meeting, an Exchange of Notes ceremony was held with the Japanese government, as well as a credit agreement signing for US$150 million for the construction and equipping of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Neurology and Stroke.

A Cooperation Protocol between JICA and the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade was signed, which envisages the implementation of projects in the fields of livestock, energy, education, and other areas.