Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The French delegation included Mr. Jeremie Pellet, Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France; Ms. Sara Boubakri, Advisor to the CEO of Expertise France; Ms. Louise Poudret Hardy, Regional Coordinator of the French Development Agency (AFD); Mr. Olivier Grandvoinet, Head of the AFD Regional Office in Tashkent; Ms. Severine Peters-Desteract, Head of the Sustainable and Inclusive Economy Department of Expertise France; Ms. Marina Moreau, Head of the Green Economy Technical Assistance Program (GETAP) for Uzbekistan; Mr. Utkirjon Kholbadalov, Deputy head of the GETAP for Uzbekistan; and Mr. Murad Saidakhamedov, Team leader of Uzbekistan Energy Transition project.

On the Uzbek side, the meeting was attended by Mr. Ilhom Norqulov, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Mr. Umid Abidkhadjayev, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance; Mr. Shokhzod Islamov, Head of the Department for Coordination of Green Economy Transition and Development; Mr. Sherzod Otaboyev, Director of the Department for Land Reforms and Territorial Development; Jean-Luc Poget, Advisor to the Ministry on Green Economy. and other senior officials and specialists from the Ministry. 

About AFD and Expertise France: The French Development Agency (AFD) is the main institution of the French government specializing in international development and financial cooperation. It focuses on financing sustainable development and green economy projects, with operations in over 115 countries worldwide.

Expertise France is the technical cooperation subsidiary of the AFD Group, providing technical assistance and consultancy services in the fields of economy, social development, and environmental sustainability.

Key Issues Discussed During the Meeting:

- Progress and outcomes of the Green Economy Policy Loan Program and the Green Economy Technical Assistance Program (GETAP) currently being implemented;

- Ongoing work and future plans regarding the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system for greenhouse gas emissions, green budgeting, green taxation, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM);

- Cooperation on the phased reduction of fossil fuel subsidies, the development of green buildings and sustainable urbanization, and the implementation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in public procurement and state-owned enterprises;

- A cooperation strategy for financial and technical support projects totaling €100 million, planned by AFD for 2025–2026.

As part of the dialogue, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan, and Expertise France. This agreement focuses on collaboration and knowledge exchange in the fields of Energy Policy and Climate Support.

The MoU is part of the Energy Climate Policy Based Loan, financed by AFD and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). AFD has provided grant amounting €1.5 million to Expertise France that is managing technical assistance to support reforms in Uzbekistan’s energy policy and advance sustainable development initiatives.

The primary objective of the Memorandum is to assist Uzbekistan in improving energy efficiency, decarbonizing the energy sector, and attracting private investment to build a sustainable and resilient energy system.

At the conclusion of the negotiations, the parties agreed to accelerate green economy reforms, develop green master plans to connect cities through efficient transport networks, and modernize the economy in line with international standards. They also reached an agreement to expand cooperation with the French Development Agency and Expertise France, as well as to strengthen technical and financial capacity.

Ministry of Economy and Finance

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