On January 18, 2018, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the World Bank delegation led by the Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva. 

The delegation of this authoritative international financial institution also includes the Vice President of the bank Cyril Muller, Regional Director Lilia Burunciuc, Executive Director Werner Gruber and the World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan Hideki Mori. 

The Head of our state, warmly welcoming guests, especially noted the dynamically developing partnership of Uzbekistan and the World Bank Group, aimed at implementing priority investment projects in a wide range of sectors of the country's economy. 

It was emphasized that opening and constructive meetings with the leadership of the bank in Tashkent and New York last year promoted the expansion of practical interaction, transition to a qualitatively new stage of cooperation. 

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a member of the World Bank since 1992. The portfolio of cooperation includes more than 30 projects with attraction of soft loans worth more than 2,9 billion dollars. 

There are such important projects among them as construction of electrified railway line Angren – Pap, introduction of modern and energy-efficient technologies in power and industrial facilities, development of transport infrastructure, increasing the potential of agricultural complex, water resources management and water supply improvement, modernization of emergency medical care, improvement of education and many other projects covering almost all regions of the country. 

Issues of further expansion of partnership within the framework of priority areas of development of Uzbekistan in accordance with the Action Strategy for 2017-2021 were discussed at the meeting. 

Particular attention was paid to ensuring qualitative and timely training, as well as effective implementation of investment projects with involvement of long-term financial resources of the World Bank. 

Priority projects were identified in agriculture, transport and logistics, modernization of social infrastructure and communal services, development of the financial sector, introduction of advanced technologies and knowledge, public-private partnership mechanisms, business support, medical and educational programs. 

The World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva expressed her deep gratitude to the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome and conveyed best wishes from World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. 

Representatives of the World Bank praised the new stage of reforms in our country that covers all spheres and areas today. It was noted that this lays a solid foundation for sustainable socio-economic development, as well as consistent improvement of the living standards and welfare of the country's population in the long term. 

Kristalina Georgieva emphasized that the World Bank is ready to further expand the full-scale partnership with the Republic of Uzbekistan within the framework of implementation of priority national and regional projects. 

UzA