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Visiting ADB Team Discusses Future Cooperation with Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (19 January 2007) - A high-level team from ADB today wrapped up two days of discussion with the Government on the future direction of the organization's partnership and reiterated its commitment to continue assistance to Uzbekistan.

The management team, from ADB’s Central and West Asia Department (CWRD), led by the Department's Director General Juan Miranda, arrived in Tashkent yesterday for the two-day visit.

The team met with Rustam Azimov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Uzbekistan, Saidakhmad Rakhimov, ADB Governor for Uzbekistan, as well as ministers of public education, agriculture and water resources. Team members also met with the first deputy minister of economy, deputy minister of foreign economic relations, investments and trade, chairpersons of the Central Bank, Uzbek Association for Transport and Transport Communications, and other senior government officials.

Discussions focused on ensuring alignment of ADB’s future operation programs with its Country Strategy and Program (CSP) for Uzbekistan and the country’s needs, as well as general strategic, macroeconomic, and sector development issues.

The two sides expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation in policy and economic reforms and discussed the general role of ADB and the Government's expectations. The ADB team expressed the organization's plans to be more focused and plan more for the long term in its operations.

“ADB considers Uzbekistan as a good partner,” Mr. Miranda said. “We sincerely hope to see Uzbekistan to develop fast economically and would like to contribute to this process."

ADB will continue supporting Uzbekistan's needs in its education, water, irrigation, agriculture, and public finance management sectors.

ADB is the biggest donor to the country's education sector, for which it has provided $260.5 million in loans since 1997. In agriculture, ADB supported the Government pilot in reduction in the state procurement system and development of water user associations. Assistance to water utilities is expected to benefit 1.1 million people.

The ADB team and the Government discussed future cooperation in the areas of regional cooperation, roads and railway rehabilitation. ADB has provided assistance to the Government in preparing a transport sector strategy and will subsequently help in designing a regional transport sector strategy.

ADB, headquartered in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 66 members – 47 from the region.

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