The 4th Tashkent International Investment Forum Begins: Participation from Over 100 Countries
The 4th Tashkent International Investment Forum Begins: Participation from Over 100 Countries
The 4th Tashkent International Investment Forum has begun in Uzbekistan.
Held at the Congress Center in the capital, the forum is being attended by around 3,000 officials and experts from nearly 100 countries and international organizations, including Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliyev, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso, and President of the New Development Bank under BRICS Dilma Rousseff.
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in his opening speech at the forum, stated that today the global community is facing serious challenges, with increasing threats to global security and sustainable development, rapidly changing geopolitical processes, and a renewed global arms race. He noted that due to the consequences of the economic crisis and lack of financial resources, the global GDP growth rate has been declining over the past three years.
"The Palestinian people have the right to their own independent state"
Addressing the situations in Ukraine and Palestine, Mirziyoyev said, “We believe that the situation in Ukraine should be resolved only through diplomatic means, and we welcome the direct negotiations that took place in Istanbul.”
He also drew attention to the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, stating, “In the 21st century, it is impossible to justify the death of so many innocent people before our eyes. The only solution to this issue is a fair resolution of the conflict based on international law and accepted resolutions. The Palestinian people have the right to their own independent state.”
Mirziyoyev emphasized that under current difficult conditions, Uzbekistan is focusing on maintaining economic stability. He noted that within the last eight years, the country's GDP has doubled, and they aim to increase it to $200 billion by 2030.
He stated that global demand for minerals has increased significantly in recent years, and that Uzbekistan possesses large reserves of tungsten, molybdenum, magnesium, lithium, graphite, vanadium, titanium, and other minerals.
"Uzbekistan is creating all conditions for foreign investors and supports them in every way"
Mirziyoyev expressed hope that Uzbekistan would finalize its membership in the World Trade Organization next year and said that they are working to align numerous laws and standards in the country with international norms. He underlined that they aim to provide a more favorable business environment for foreign investors and to create a system that protects them from excessive inspections.
Pointing out that friendly relations with neighboring countries in recent years have led to the emergence of a completely new environment of cooperation in Central Asia, Mirziyoyev stated, “In general, we propose the implementation of the concept of 'a single region for investment and trade' in Central Asia. In this context, I would like to call on international organizations: it is time to establish new financial mechanisms to support regional projects. If we act together, we can transform Central Asia into a region of peace and development.”
Stating that investment means not only financial resources but also technology, knowledge, qualified personnel, integration into international production chains—in short, real development—Mirziyoyev said, “Uzbekistan is creating all conditions for good-faith foreign investors, supports them in every way, and guarantees this. All the doors in our country are always open for you. Most importantly, we have laws that protect your activities, a government open to dialogue, and a hardworking people ready for cooperation,” he said.
Presentations on business and investment opportunities and investment projects in Uzbekistan will be made during the two-day forum. As part of the forum, the Uzbekistan National Exhibition and the 3rd Meeting of the Foreign Investors Council will also be held for the first time.