BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 13
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Uzbekistan will hold tenders to attract foreign companies to manage the country's airports, said Uzbekistan’s Transport Minister Elyar Ganiyev, Trend reports via Uzbek media.
The official said that cooperation with foreign management companies on Uzbekistan's airports will be carried out on the principles of public-private partnership or concession.
Ganiyev said that negotiation processes will be unambiguously held on a tender basis.
Previously, Russian Novaport company were in agreement to reconstruct Namangan and Urgench airports in Uzbekistan's Samarkand.
Despite extremely tight deadlines, Novaport was ready to take up this project. However, the company wanted to get concession of airports for 30 years. Uzbekistan did not agree on such conditions, and as a result, the negotiations have reached an impasse, but are still formally active.
Another investor which is interested in Uzbekistan's airports is Japanese Sumitomo Corporation - negotiations were held in early December.
Regional Airports (part of Renova Group of Companies), also announced its interest in the issue.
In Jan. 2020 Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport Achilbai Ramatov met with a World Bank delegation led by Vice President Cyril Muller. The sides discussed long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and the World Bank, as well as the implementation of projects in priority areas.
In particular, the parties discussed mechanisms for implementing projects to improve the country's transport infrastructure, including the construction and reconstruction of airports and roads in cooperation with the World Bank.
The World Bank has expressed its willingness to participate in projects to modernize the infrastructure of airports in Uzbekistan.
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