Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 24 January, in Tokyo, Chairman of the Uzcharmsanoat Association Fakhriddin Boboev held a dialogue with the leadership of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In the dialogue, organized in cooperation with the JICA representative office in Uzbekistan, within the framework of the Agency’s “Mini Grant Projects” program, issues of financing projects in the leather and footwear industry of Uzbekistan, training and retraining of personnel were discussed.

The Chairman of the Association informed the Japanese side in detail about the reforms implemented in the leather and footwear industry of Uzbekistan in recent years, the legal framework, production, investment and export potential of the industry. He also made a presentation on programs that meet JICA training requirements.

Under the Mini Grant Projects program, JICA funds training courses in the field of education. They help train competitive personnel for industry, transport, energy, healthcare, and agriculture in Uzbekistan.

During the dialogue, JICA representatives said that they were ready to establish cooperation with the fish farming and leather and footwear industries, as well as provide mini-grants for educational programs. The agency’s representative office in Uzbekistan reported that it would provide funding in three areas.

In the first direction, grants are used to organize short-term courses to improve the skills of employees of industry enterprises. The agency also provides financial support for various international conferences and seminars. The second direction involves the placement of prepared analytical data in international journals and analytical websites on a grant basis with the aim of wider promotion of the industry in the international arena. In the third direction, funds are allocated for the purchase of equipment in a certain amount for small businesses.

Based on the results of negotiations in 2024, the Uzcharmsanoat association and the JICA representative office in Uzbekistan will closely cooperate in these areas. There was also a detailed exchange of views on the issue of financing the implementation of international certificates in leather and footwear industry enterprises. The Agency expressed its readiness to provide practical assistance within the framework of special programs.