TASHKENT, February 18. /Dunyo IA/.  UK's Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Central Asia and Azerbaijan, Lord John Alderdice, answered questions from a correspondent of Dunyo Information Agency at the UK - Uzbekistan Infrastructure Conference:

- From your point of view that which priority areas offer the strongest potential for deepening infrastructure cooperation between Uzbekistan and United Kingdom?

- I myself have been very impressed by what I've seen already in Uzbekistan, both what I've observed and in the engagement with colleagues, business colleagues and government colleagues. Very impressed indeed. And I think that reflects a view that is widespread in the United Kingdom amongst those who know and understand Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region. What we have to do is to help more people in the UK understand the opportunities that there are. Your ambassador in London is working very hard on that. I'm collaborating with him. And I think that there is a greater recognition of the opportunities here in Uzbekistan. You ask about the geopolitical significance. Uzbekistan is extremely important in this regard. We're in a period of extraordinary change, change which could be frightening and troubling, but change also gives the opportunity of challenge and moving to better arrangements. In such a situation, developing the relationships between the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan, not just the bilateral relations, but in trade terms, for example, also our collaboration, the two of us together with Türkiye, is making possible quite a lot of economic development.

- How would you assess the current investment attractiveness of Uzbekistan’s transport, energy and green infrastructure sectors?

- Lots of opportunities. I visited the Center of Islamic Civilization, which is a particular project of the president. And like many of the president's projects, it is just stunning, absolutely amazing. It will be not just a jewel, but a magnet for people to come not just from Uzbekistan and from Europe, but globally. It's an extraordinary development and I think it tells us a little bit about how Uzbekistan is viewed, not just in the UK, very positively, but even more widely. I think things are moving ahead well. We've seen major growth in our own investments here in Uzbekistan. I've visited already and will be visiting further some of the particular developments, mining developments, the new Tashkent and so on. Very impressed with that. The reform agenda, I think, is moving ahead well. Infrastructure development, absolutely. And not just practical things like mines and railways, but also education and health infrastructure, social infrastructure, if you like.

- Could you share your view, Lord Alderdice, on whether there are plans or upcoming initiatives in the field of education that the UK intends to support in Uzbekistan, particularly regarding knowledge exchange, digitalization and capacity-building programs?

- Absolutely. And one of the things that we will hope to sign off while I'm here is a hub connected with Oxford University. Oxford University is the one higher education establishment in the UK that teaches Uzbek, Kazakh and Azeri. And there's a great deal of enthusiasm from the Vice-Chancellor, who you may well find coming to this country in a year or so near that time. Yes, there are developments on the university front in lots of different ways. Uzbekistan nowadays a global player now. Absolutely I can, because the region is becoming increasingly important. You sit between Russia and China, but you are a region of stability in an increasingly unstable world.  Uzbekistan is taking a leading role in Central Asia. So are you playing an important global role? Absolutely. And you will have heard Prime Minister Mark Carney in Canada at the Davos summit talking about mid-level powers working together. That's exactly what we are trying to do with you. And I'm optimistic about that.

- From your perspective, how effective are Public Private Partnership mechanisms in supporting large-scale infrastructure development in Uzbekistan in terms of digitalization as well?

- One of the advantages that we have in the United Kingdom is that we have a very good and globally significant finance centre in London with a lot of enthusiasm and indeed already some successes in collaboration with Uzbekistan. So there are specific opportunities for IPOs, for bond issuance. Already Uzbekistan has been moving forward on that. There are specific areas such as mining where we're very keen to see the development and indeed with regard to that in London we also have the London Metals Exchange and I'm exploring what is possible with collaboration with the mining industry here in Uzbekistan. you also have significant rail and other transport developments taking place, airport and so on. And one of the other areas where we've already seen development is on the planning of the new Tashkent, where a British company has been involved in that. And in many of these situations, we can benefit the projects because of UK export finance. So we have about £4 billion available for export guarantees in Uzbekistan specifically. Lots of different possibilities.

Thank you very much.