Uzbekistan

UZBEKISTAN: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Notes from the 2022 Tashkent International Investment Forum 

Tashkent, 24th-26th March 2022 - The first edition of the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) was held in the Uzbek capital on March 24-26. The Forum is a new platform intended to convey the investment potential of Uzbekistan and act as a magnet for international investors and businesses interested in integrating into the dynamically developing market of Uzbekistan.

The inaugural edition of the TIIF attracted over 1,500 participants, including representatives from all major International Financial Institutions (IFIs) namely the European Investment Bank (EIB); the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); the Asian Development Bank (ADB); the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC); as well as high-level delegations from the other Central Asian republics; Saudi Arabia; Pakistan and the UAE, to name a few. 

The various panel discussions organised centred on the investment and trade opportunities in the priority sectors of the country as outlined in the development strategy of New Uzbekistan for the period 2022-2026. The rich discussions touched upon mechanisms for attracting investment, liberalizing trade and improving the competitiveness of the Uzbek economy; new steps towards industrialization; measures to transform the national energy sector and switch to alternative energy sources; and strengthening the transport interconnection of the countries of the region and improve their transit potential. Importantly, in the framework of the government's objective for the proportional and even development of the country, separate breakout sessions were organised to discuss the investment potentials of every single region, from Andijan to Karakalpakstan.