The Ministry of Culture, the Tourism Development Committee of Uzbekistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a Memorandum on Cooperation in the field of tourism and cultural heritage, JAHON reported.

The Memorandum provides for the financing of projects that contribute to the development of infrastructure, preservation, sustainable management and operation of historic heritage sites, and the promotion of cultural tourism.

Strategic master plan for development of tourism for Khiva and the Khorezm areas will be drafted based on the recommendations of the Smithsonian United States Institute and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO),.

The First Vice President of the EBRD Philip Bennett noted that Uzbekistan was chosen as the first pilot country to implement such a project.

In his opinion, the use of a business model involving the private sector and the population with the support of the government, promoting tourism through preservation of the cultural heritage can become a driver of economic growth in Uzbekistan.

The Memorandum was signed at the EBRD headquarters in London as part of the round table on Inclusive Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage. The event was timed to the launch of the new EBRD’s Cultural Heritage initiative, for the implementation of which it is planned to draw 150 million euros.