ТАSHKENT, June 18. /Dunyo IA/.   Today, on the sidelines of a regular meeting of the Foreign Investors Council, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a delegation from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development led by its President, Odile Renaud-Basso, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

According to the press service of the Head of our State, the discussions focused on the current state of cooperation and prospects for further expanding practical cooperation and strengthening the comprehensive partnership with the EBRD, particularly in the context of implementing New Uzbekistan’s reform agenda.

The parties expressed deep satisfaction with the unprecedented level of strategic partnership achieved with this leading multilateral financial institution.

Today, Uzbekistan is the EBRD’s largest partner in the region, with a project portfolio exceeding $7 billion across priority sectors. The majority of investments are directed toward private sector development.

The sides welcomed the signing of new agreements in the areas of green transport development, railway infrastructure digitalization, support for entrepreneurship, the mortgage market, and the country's startup ecosystem.

Key priorities for the current year include scaling up lending to small and medium-sized businesses, including export financing, implementing entrepreneurship training programs for women and youth, and supporting the development of the agri-food sector and the transformation of the banking and financial sectors, among other areas.

Plans to promote public-private partnership projects in education, healthcare, and transport infrastructure were supported.

The parties expressed interest in involving EBRD experts to improve project preparation mechanisms and enhance the efficiency of their implementation.

Sides also reviewed the agenda for the upcoming fourth meeting of the Foreign Investors Council.