$7.8 billion worth of contracts and investment agreements were signed the First Tashkent International Investment Forum, the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade said.

$3.5 billion worth of provisional projects were also inked. The forum brought together more than 2,000 delegates - investors and guests from 56 countries.

By means of the forum, the Uzbek government outlined its vector of consistent steps to create the most comfortable and attractive conditions for investors and comprehensively deepen mutually beneficial partnerships with foreign partners and international organizations.

At the panel sessions and events, the socio-economic reform of Uzbekistan were considered, as well as priority areas for its further development, prospects for the development of regional and global trade relations, mechanisms for attracting investment, liberalizing trade and increasing the competitiveness of the national economy, steps to industrialize the country and orient industries to produce products with high added value, measures to transform the energy sector and switch to alternative energy sources, issues of strengthening the transport interconnectedness of the countries of the region and increasing their transit potential.

Representatives of government, business and expert circles discussed mechanisms for restoring and stimulating the swift development of economic activity in the post-COVID period, reducing poverty, regulating monetary policies, supporting business, developing the banking sector and the financial market.

On the sidelines of the forum, a meeting of the intergovernmental commission in the field of trade, economy, science and technology, culture, sports and youth between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, the Uzbek-Chinese investment forum “Industrial cooperation. New Opportunities”, as well as a country platform on Uzbekistan, which was attended by the heads of international financial institutions, foreign government financial organizations and development partners.

The Forum is expected to become a permanent platform for attracting foreign investment and modern technologies to the economy of both Uzbekistan and the entire Central Asian region, as well as identifying areas of mutual interest in order to establish direct links between entrepreneurs in the region and foreign business circles.