Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis Sodik Safoev these days, together with the Executive Director of the Development Strategy Center, a deputy of the Legislative Chamber, Eldor Tulyakov, are on an official visit to the UK.

The main purpose of the visit is to discuss the state and prospects of bilateral relations with partners from the UK and international organizations located in London, as well as to bring to the international community the significance and results of reforms carried out at a new stage in the development of Uzbekistan, the importance of the upcoming elections.

The delegation members met with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Mr. Suma Chakrabarti. During the dialogue, the EBRD leader was informed in detail about the transformations and changes being carried out in Uzbekistan in all spheres, benefits and preferences created to liberalize the economy, attract foreign investment and actively support small businesses, private entrepreneurship and private property, and strengthened organizational and legal foundations.

In turn, Mr. Suma Chakrabarti, welcoming guests at the organization’s headquarters, noted that he was watching the events in our country with interest, praised the policies and reforms of the President of Uzbekistan in a new direction.

Indeed, today, thanks to a renewed open domestic and foreign policy, which is consistently pursued by the head of our country, Uzbekistan has risen to 7th place among the 40 states funded by the EBRD. The recent opening of the EBRD representative office in Andijan on behalf of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the planned establishment of the activities of such representative offices in Urgench and other large cities contribute to the accelerated social and economic development of the regions.

The head of the EBRD, noting his awareness of the ongoing large-scale changes not only in the capital, but in all regions of the country, emphasized that the EBRD will continue to pay special attention to the socio-economic development of the regions.

It is worth noting that in November 2017, after the EBRD office resumed its activities in Tashkent, a completely new stage of cooperation began. In 2018, our country allocated about 400 million euros to our bank. To date, the EBRD has invested US$1.3 billion in the economic sector of Uzbekistan to implement 70 projects. This is the maximum annual amount in the history of the relationship between this bank and Uzbekistan.

Some measures of the EBRD that are aimed at broad support for small business and private entrepreneurship are worthy of attention, the practice of allocating bank loans in soums has been established, strengthening the status and maintaining the stability of the national currency is harmoniously combined with the content of economic reforms carried out today by Uzbekistan.

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to further expand the coverage in strengthening ties on cooperation between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Great Britain, Said Rustamov.