SAMARKAND, November 4, 2022 – Anna Bjerde, World Bank Regional Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, participated in the 2nd Uzbekistan Economic Forum (UEF) held in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, November 3-4, 2022.
Ms. Bjerde joined hundreds of local and international experts, leaders from public and private sectors, investors, and officials of international organizations and financial institutions in Samarkand this week. The Forum focused on ways Uzbekistan can withstand the current global and regional shocks and implement further reforms to build a competitive and inclusive market economy.
In her opening speech, Ms. Bjerde touched upon the current economic and social challenges facing the country during these turbulent times and the necessary measures the government will need to take to overcome them.
“Compared to the economic situation in other countries across the Europe and Central Asia region, Uzbekistan stands out as a good performer. This is in large part thanks to market reforms that have made the country more resilient to external shocks. With GDP projected to expand by 5.3 percent in 2022, Uzbekistan will be one of the fastest growing of the region’s 23 countries,” said Ms. Bjerde during her opening remarks.
“My key message to you all today is that Uzbekistan is on the right path. We have witnessed impressive development gains since 2017 as the authorities pursued market-oriented reforms. There is a strong need to continue this momentum to achieve the government’s ambitious goal to halve the poverty by 2026 and reach an upper middle-income status by 2030,” Ms. Bjerde added.
On the sidelines of the UEF, Ms. Bjerde held productive talks on bilateral cooperation issues with senior government officials from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, as well as with international development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), various UN agencies, and the government of Switzerland.
During the UEF, the Government of Uzbekistan and the World Bank signed a $100 million loan agreement to finance the implementation of an urban infrastructure development project. It will help the authorities improve the livability and increase the economic potential of around 12 medium size cities in Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions, including through the development of local logistical and tourist infrastructure.
The World Bank’s country program in Uzbekistan is among the top three largest in the Europe and Central Asia region. As of November 1, 2022, it consisted of 27 social and economic projects, which are being implemented by the government, with net commitments totaling around $4.76 billion.
