TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 1. The new country strategy of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Uzbekistan will be aligned with the priorities of the Government, Head of the ADB Representative Office in Uzbekistan Enrico Pinali told Trend.
According to Pinali, as the current ADB Country Strategy in Uzbekistan for 2019 – 2023 comes to an end, the Bank is currently in talks with the representatives of the Government of Uzbekistan, and other stakeholders, on the priorities of the future strategy.
"We are holding consultations right now. This is a comparably new strategy. So, our 2024-2028 strategy will be supported by the second generation of reforms," he said.
As the ADB rep pointed out, one of the most important directions in ADB’s cooperation with Uzbekistan in the coming years will be private sector support.
Moreover, ADB will also focus on human capital development over the next five years.
"Concerning social development, we are focusing on human capital. Over the next five years, we are going to prioritize projects in education, specifically, the so-called STEM-science, technology, engineering, and math in secondary schools," he noted.
Another focus area for ADB in Uzbekistan is the introduction of ICT, and the spread of IT technologies in schools, and the next, probably, will be the development of skills to prepare the future workforce for the modern industrialized economy of Uzbekistan. We also will provide vocational trainings in these areas, Pinali said.
"Healthcare sector will stay a priority for us. In the healthcare sector, we are most probably going to normalize the private sector to improve healthcare services in the country," the head of the ADB mission added.
Uzbekistan joined ADB in 1995. During 28 years of cooperation, ADB has committed loans, grants, and technical assistance amounting to $10.8 billion to the country.
ADB is committed to supporting Asia and the Pacific to achieve prosperity, inclusion, resilience, and sustainability. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members - 49 from the region.