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

Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov participated in the Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), held in the State of Qatar.

As part of the programme, the Minister addressed a Governors’ Roundtable dedicated to the further development of the Bank’s activities. It was noted that over its first decade, AIIB, bringing together 111 member countries, has established a solid institutional and financial foundation. At the new stage, the main focus should be placed on increasing the practical impact of Bank-financed initiatives and their contribution to the sustainable development of member countries.

One of the key priorities identified was improving the quality of project preparation. Developing technical, financial and organisational parameters at an early stage makes it possible to accelerate subsequent implementation, ensure the efficient utilisation of funds and create conditions for attracting additional capital. In this regard, the importance of expanding AIIB support at the stage of developing prospective initiatives was emphasised.

Particular attention was paid to strengthening regional connectivity. Uzbekistan advocated further expanding the Bank’s participation in cross-border transport, energy and water infrastructure projects. Such initiatives can simultaneously contribute to the growth of trade, strengthen economic ties and promote deeper integration between countries and regions.

A logical continuation of this approach is the more active mobilisation of private capital. The need to increase AIIB’s non-sovereign financing and utilise the Bank’s resources to implement infrastructure projects in partnership with private investors was highlighted. This approach will help expand the scale of investment without limiting it exclusively to public financing.

Another priority identified was strengthening AIIB’s presence directly in the regions. As projects become increasingly complex and investment portfolios expand, closer engagement with partner countries will help improve the responsiveness of cooperation and the quality of support for initiatives.

Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to further cooperation with AIIB and to the Bank’s strategic mission of “Infrastructure for Tomorrow.” The approaches outlined are aimed at facilitating a transition towards higher-quality project preparation, expanded regional infrastructure and greater mobilisation of private investment.