China's MingYuan starts building $1.2 bln technology park in Uzbekistan

TASHKENT. June 28 (Interfax) - China's MingYuan Silu Industry has begun building a technology park in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh region in which investment is expected to total $1.2 billion.

"The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev kicked off the construction of the first investment projects at the technology park being built with the participation of Chinese investors," Uzbek media reported on Friday.

The Technopark special economic zone is located on 400 hectares in the Zaamin district of Jizzakh region. A targeted program has been approved to provide infrastructure, and 30 projects have already been put together.

There are plans to build factories in the zone to manufacture products with high added value and products to replace imports that are needed on foreign markets, including in the area of electrical equipment, machinery, construction materials, the furniture industry, food industry and service sector.

The park will also have an International Center for Exchange of Know-how and Engineering that will train skilled workers for the manufacturing businesses. There are also plans to build an office center, housing, an eco park, a large exhibition hall and shopping center.

Uzbek media reported earlier that the technology park project was presented to the country's president in early April, when investment in the project was estimated at $1 billion.

MingYuan Silu Industry earlier built a sheet glass factory in Jizzakh at a cost of about $110 million. The Chinese company now plans to expand product at a cost of $150 million.