00:00In the last year, our investment investment is $35 billion.
00:04Our experts are $27 billion,
00:08and from the last year,
00:10we have a result of the investment forum in Tashkent.
00:227,500 delegates from around 100 countries
00:25came together in Uzbekistan
00:27for the Tashkent International Investment Forum.
00:29President Shavkat Mrzoiev welcomed guests
00:32amid calls for stronger global cooperation
00:34and outlining the country's ambitious reforms
00:37across its investment agenda.
00:39I think there's a stability economically and politically,
00:44and there's a tone at the top
00:47that is very welcoming to foreign investment.
00:50They want foreign investment.
00:52They've said this is how they lift people out of poverty
00:56and really grow forth as an emerging strong economy.
01:04Pivotal moments around the forum also included a visit
01:07by Bulgaria's President Roman Radev
01:09and a first visit to the country by Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico.
01:14Uzbekistan and Slovakia elevated their bilateral ties
01:17and established a new strategic partnership
01:20as Deputy Prime Minister Denisa Sarkova said
01:23Europe should look towards investment in new markets.
01:26The biggest economy of the Europe of Germany is now struggling,
01:30and really they are in recession for the last two years.
01:34Also the same problems in Austria.
01:36The average economic growth in Europe was decreased in last months
01:43from 1.5 to 0.9 percentage.
01:49So really we should look for the new markets
01:53and for the new and well-developed markets all around the globe.
01:59So therefore also Central Asian continent or Central Asian part of Asia
02:05is really important and has got a really significant importance for us,
02:10not just for Slovakia but I mean for the whole Europe.
02:14Uzbekistan's gross domestic product has doubled over the past eight years
02:17and the volume of trade with its neighbours has increased
02:20by more than three and a half times.
02:22This fourth edition of the forum was the most successful yet,
02:26with more than 26 billion euros of bankable projects
02:30across energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining and digital tech being signed.
02:36In terms of the vision of Data Vault for this country,
02:42we have committed $5 billion worth of investments
02:47in the digital infrastructure sector over the next five years.
02:52We have already started on with the first phase of investments,
02:56which is a very small one.
02:58We call it a pilot investment.
03:01It's $200 million.
03:04But the whole purpose behind this investment
03:07is to demonstrate the country's positioning
03:11to be the future digital hub of Central Asia and Asia.
03:17Investment in renewables and SMEs were key topics of discussion.
03:21We continue to invest in the renewable development.
03:24We also support very much SMEs.
03:2770% of our investments in the country are in the private sector,
03:31mostly SMEs.
03:32I just signed a project with the biggest private sector,
03:37pharmaceutical companies, distribution companies.
03:41And so this is the kind of financing we can provide
03:44to small businesses or medium-sized businesses.
03:47It's not about only production of green energy.
03:50It's how to localize know-how, how to localize human capital,
03:55how to train local people, how to create quality jobs,
03:59how to use Uzbekistan as the hub for energy export of green,
04:04to Europe, to many other countries,
04:07how to use manufacturing here and the capacity building here for exporting.
04:12And Uzbekistan's commitment to education and the next generation
04:15was clearly an extension of that in attracting investment from global companies.
04:20In order to drive the economic growth,
04:23the standard of living that you aspire for your people,
04:26you have to invest in education.
04:28The biggest investment that any government will ever make in its people,
04:33that people make in themselves, is in their own education and development.
04:37And recognising that it's not just education in science and engineering
04:42and all of those areas of biology and related sciences,
04:47it's also about investment in education.
04:50The forum once again highlighting Uzbekistan's potential for future opportunities
04:55and investment-ready projects.
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