Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On May 13, 2026, a meeting took place between Sameh Wahba, the World Bank Regional Director for Sustainable Development for Europe and Central Asia, and Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The meeting was attended by Naji Benhassin, World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia; Anastasia Alexandrova, Project Manager in Uzbekistan; Pierre Gerber, Senior Agricultural Economist; as well as Ilhom Norkulov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, and other officials.

During the talks, the parties discussed developing mutually beneficial cooperation, including the implementation of effective projects in agricultural development and accelerating collaboration in water resource management.

In particular, the discussion focused on the following key issues:

• Increasing efficiency in agriculture, introducing modern agrotechnologies, and projects being implemented in our country in this area;
• Cooperation within the AgriConnect program, including enhancing the knowledge and skills of farms and business entities to access high-value-added market segments, expanding their financing opportunities, and offering modern solutions in agriculture;
• Modernizing irrigation infrastructure, expanding innovative water-saving solutions, and developing cooperation to ensure the sustainability of the agrarian sector amid climate change.
   

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to consistently develop mutually beneficial cooperation, increase the effectiveness of existing projects, and advance new initiatives in priority areas.

PR and Communications Department

Ministry of Economy and Finance