SAMARKAND, October 20. /Dunyo IA/.   David Edgington, Regional Director for Strategy and Development at the American company KBR and a participant in the meeting of the American-Uzbek Business and Investment Council, shared his assessments of the investment climate in Uzbekistan and the prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation across various sectors of the economy with a correspondent of Dunyo IA:

- Uzbekistan is an emerging market that is generating significant interest from American investors. We see that the government of the country is focused on fostering entrepreneurship and is open to cooperation with foreign partners. During the forum, we met numerous representatives of businesses and organizations interested in collaborating with KBR and American enterprises as a whole. We are very pleased with this opportunity and see bright prospects for further interaction.

As for our company, KBR specializes primarily in the oil and gas industry and infrastructure projects. We provide services in engineering project management, technology licensing and the implementation of other technical and engineering solutions. At the same time, I am convinced that the opportunities for American business in Uzbekistan are significantly broader and encompass a wide variety of areas - from the oil and gas sector and information technology to infrastructure, hospitality and the service industry.

In my view, commercial relations between the United States and Uzbekistan possess substantial potential for further development. The combination of mutual interest, readiness for dialogue and opportunities for executing joint projects establishes a solid foundation for expanding business ties between our countries.

Uzbekistan demonstrates a keen interest in attracting foreign direct investment and establishing a favourable environment for doing business. A vital role is also played by the presence of robust relations with the United States, as well as the country's openness to international partnership. Furthermore, implemented mechanisms and programs designed to attract investment facilitate the creation of new opportunities for foreign enterprises.

All of this allows us to look optimistically at the prospects for cooperation. We look forward to the further strengthening of business ties and eagerly anticipate the opportunity to expand KBR's footprint in Uzbekistan, participating in the execution of promising projects and the development of long-term partnership.