Uzbekistan plans to attract $42 bln in foreign investment in 2025

TASHKENT. April 10 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan plans to attract $42 billion in foreign investment in 2025, compared to $35 billion the previous year, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

"In 2025, plans are in place to attract $42 billion in foreign investment. Implementation is scheduled for 81 large as well as more than 8,000 medium and small projects, the attraction of $2 billion in grants from donor organizations, and $6 billion through banks," Uzbek media quoted Mirziyoyev as saying on Thursday.

Mirziyoyev spoke at a meeting focused on accelerating the implementation of projects involving foreign investment.

In just the first quarter of this year, during visits to the UAE, Malaysia, Kuwait and France, agreements were reached on 178 projects totaling $39 billion, Mirziyoyev said.

The meeting included a detailed analysis of opportunities to attract investment by region and partner country. In particular, state shares in 49 enterprises will be offered on the international market as part of a large-scale privatization program and 15 major state-owned companies will issue Eurobonds, Mirziyoyev said.

"These measures are an excellent opportunity for attracting foreign investment," he said.

In addition, projects worth $20 billion are currently being implemented jointly with international financial institutions in the energy, transport, agriculture, utilities and social sectors, he said.

At the same time, Mirziyoyev drew attention to cases of untimely execution or unjustified delays in investment projects. In the future, changes to ready-made projects should be considered solely by the government, and additional work should only be carried out after the completion of the main project, using saved funds, he said.

Foreign investment in Uzbekistan increased 1.6-fold year-on-year in 2024, reaching approximately $35 billion. A total of 242 large and medium-sized projects with a combined value of $10 billion were commissioned.