Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On 9 September, Tashkent hosted the 18th meeting of the Uzbekistan–Japan and Japan–Uzbekistan Committees on Economic Cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired by Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Masayuki Tanimoto, Chairman of the Japan–Uzbekistan Committee and Senior Corporate Adviser to the President of Mitsubishi Corporation.

The discussions were attended by Kenji Yamada, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Kenji Hirata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Uzbekistan, as well as heads of relevant government agencies, financial institutions, business associations and companies. The Japanese side was represented by more than 130 participants, including leading corporations and development organizations.

The strong interest of Japanese businesses builds on the agreements reached in December 2025 at the “Central Asia + Japan” Summit and during the state visit. The portfolio of 75 projects worth $12 billion formed at that time set a long-term agenda, and the main focus is now on its consistent implementation.

The steady growth of Uzbekistan’s economy provides a favorable foundation for this work. In 2025, the economy grew by 7.7 percent, while in the first half of the current year growth reached 8.5 percent.

Given the growing demand for modern technologies and infrastructure, the sides identified energy, the chemical industry, mechanical engineering, critical minerals, healthcare and IT as priority areas. Modernization of enterprises, localization, deep processing of raw materials, digitalization and access to foreign markets were outlined as common priorities.

To accelerate the transition of sectoral proposals into practical implementation, the parties separately considered financial and organizational conditions for investors. The expansion of non-sovereign financing and the establishment of a special economic zone were discussed. Together, these instruments are expected to provide access to capital, ready-to-use sites and the necessary infrastructure.

The digital economy represents another significant area of growth. More than 20 Japanese companies are already residents of IT Park Uzbekistan, while the country’s total exports of IT services exceed $1 billion. This provides a solid foundation for expanding outsourcing, promoting digital solutions in the Japanese market and implementing technological developments.

The substantive part of the meeting was complemented by presentations from representatives of relevant Uzbek government agencies, Japanese corporations, educational institutions and financial organizations. Industrial cooperation, digital transformation, development of mineral resources, workforce training and business support instruments were at the center of attention. This format made it possible to align the needs of individual sectors with the technologies and expertise of potential partners.

Following the meeting, a ceremony for the signing of bilateral documents was held. The program continued with direct negotiations and business networking aimed at agreeing on further steps and establishing new contacts between companies of the two countries.