OREANDA-NEWS  On 02 March was announced, that President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the World Bank vice-president for Europe and Central Asia Shigeo Katsu in Tashkent on 27 February.

“Uzbekistan highly values cooperation with the World Bank,” Islam Karimov said. “We consider the World Bank as a leading international financial institution, which assists in implementing reforms and economic growth in the countries of the world.”

Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in September 1992. The country currently is a participant of the Swiss group of the bank’s member states.

The World Bank opened its representative office in Tashkent also in 1992. The relations between the country and the institution are based on the regular cooperation strategies. At present, the strategy for 2006-2009 is functioning.

Over these years, 15 projects were implemented in Uzbekistan jointly with the World Bank worth a total of over USD 1 bln.

The cooperation includes not only financial and economic sector, but also healthcare, improvement of the food products quality, as well as education and environment.

Shigeo Katsu said reforms in Uzbekistan served to the softening of the influence of the global financial crisis. The bank is interested in development of cooperation with the country, he said.

The sides discussed development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the World Bank, implementation of the joint projects and regional cooperation in Central Asia.