Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A meeting was held between the Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan Adiz Boboev and a joint mission of the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

This mission was in Uzbekistan from 26 September to 6 October 2023 to assist in the implementation of the Rural Infrastructure Development project.

During the mission, experts from the World Bank and AIIB analyzed the status of actions on the project, took actions related to optimizing procurement processes for activities carried out by engineering companies of the Single Customer Service at regional khokimiyats, comprehensive verification of social and environmental guarantees, as well as strengthening the capacity of the Project Implementation Group for issues of monitoring and evaluation and project management.

The purpose of the meeting was to present the results of the mission, check the timing and quality of work performed in the regions and agree on the next steps to implement the project and prepare for the second phase.

As part of the mission, a visit was made to the Porlok mahalla of the Yazyavan district of the Fergana region, where the sub-project “Asphalting of internal roads” with a length of 9.6 km was implemented and meetings were held with employees of the NGO “Mekhrijon”, which is mobilizing the project “Economic empowerment of rural women."

In the second half of the meeting, the parties determined the development goals of the second phase of the project, its components and the amount of funding. The implementation mechanisms and project preparation activities required by the Government of Uzbekistan, including a feasibility study, were also reviewed.

At the end of the meeting, the parties reached an agreement to begin the second phase of the Rural Infrastructure Development project.