€26 billion in deals signed as Tashkent International Investment Forum attracts global investors

We know that this year's investment amount is $35 billion, and our export amount is $27 billion.

We know that this year's investment amount is $35 billion, and our export amount is $27 billion.

We know that this year's investment amount is $35 billion, and our export amount is $27 billion.

Seven and a half thousand delegates from around 100 countries came together in Uzbekistan for the Tashkent International Investment Forum.

President Shavkat Mirzoyev welcomed guests amid calls for stronger global cooperation and outlining the country's ambitious reforms across its investment agenda.

I think there's a stability economically and politically, and there's a tone at the top that is very welcoming to foreign investment.

They want foreign investment.

They've said this is how they lift people out of poverty and really grow forth as an emerging strong economy.

Pivotal moments around the forum also included a visit by Bulgaria's President Roman Radev and a first visit to the country by Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Uzbekistan and Slovakia elevated their bilateral ties and established a new strategic partnership as Deputy Prime Minister Denisa Sarkova said Europe should look towards investment in new markets.

The biggest economy of Europe, Germany, is now struggling and really they are in recession for last two years.

Also the same problems in Austria.

The average economic growth in Europe was decreased in last month from 1.5 to 0.9 percentage.

So really they should look for the new market

and for the new and well-developed markets all around the globe.

Therefore, also the Central Asian continent or the Central Asian part of Asia is really important and has got a really significant importance for us.

Not just for Slovakia, but I mean for the whole of Europe.

Uzbekistan's gross domestic product has doubled over the past eight years and the volume of trade with its neighbours has increased by more than three and a half times.

This fourth edition of the forum was the most successful yet, with more than 26 billion euros of bankable projects across energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining and digital tech being signed.

In terms of the vision of Data Vault for this country,

We have committed $5 billion worth of investments in the digital infrastructure sector over the next five years.

We have already started on with the first phase of investments, which is a very small one.

We call it a pilot investment.

It's $200 million.

But the whole purpose behind this investment is to demonstrate

the country's positioning to be the future digital hub of central asia and asia investment in renewables and smes were key topics of discussion we continue to invest in the renewable development we also support very much smes 70 percent of our investments in the country are in the private sector mostly smes i just signed a project with the

biggest private sector pharmaceutical company, distribution companies, and so this is the kind of financing we can provide to small businesses or medium-sized businesses.

It's not about only production of green energy.

It's how to localize know-how, how to localize human capital, how to train local people, how to create quality jobs.

How to use Uzbekistan as the hub for energy export of green to Europe, to many other countries?

How to use manufacturing here and the capacity building here for exporting?

And Uzbekistan's commitment to education and the next generation was clearly an extension of that in attracting investment from global companies.

In order to drive the economic growth, the standard of living that you aspire for your people, you have to invest in education.

The biggest investment that any government will ever make in its people, that people make in themselves, is in their own education and development.

and recognizing that it's not just education in science and engineering and all of those areas of biology and related sciences.

It's also about investment and education.

The forum once again highlighting Uzbekistan's potential for future opportunities and investment-ready projects.