The Central Role of Uzbekistan on Renewing Central Asia

For 2016-2019 FDI inflows to the region increased by 40%, amounting to US$37.6 billion. As a result, the share of investments in Central Asia in the total volume in the world increased from 1.6% to 2.5%. 

At the same time, according to forecasts of analysts of the international company Boston Consalting Group (BCG), over the next 10 years the region can attract up to US$170 billion of foreign investments, incl. 40-70 billion dollars - in non-resource sectors.

At the same time, there is an intensification of cooperation between the countries of the region themselves. Thus, within the framework of industrial cooperation in the city of Kostanay (Kazakhstan), a joint production of Uzbek cars of the "Ravon" brand has been established. LLC "Krantas group" (Uzbekistan) and the Aluminum company "Talko" (Tajikistan) jointly created a special equipment plant "Talko-Krantas". 

In March of this year, following the visit of S. Japarov to Uzbekistan, a plan of practical measures was drawn up to expand and deepen cooperation in the field of industrial cooperation in the implementation of 60 projects worth US$550.4 million. An agreement was reached to create an Uzbek-Kyrgyz development fund with an authorized capital of US$50 million with a subsequent increase to US$200 million

Investment cooperation of Uzbekistan with the Central Asian countries is also actively increasing. So, from the end of 2017 to November 2020, the number of registered enterprises with capital in Kazakhstan increased from 281 to 896 units, Kyrgyzstan - from 57 to 175 units, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - to 178 and 140 units, respectively. Uzbek capital also began to actively participate in neighboring countries. In particular, a textile factory has been opened in Kazakhstan, and a joint production of household appliances has been launched in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The concentration of the integration efforts of the Central Asian countries into the system of international transport corridors is especially noted. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan resumed air traffic, restored the Galaba-Amuzang-Khushadi railway. 

Thanks to the efforts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the Turkmenabad-Farab railway and road bridges have been built, providing the Central Asian countries with the shortest access to the markets of the Near and Middle East. 

Work on the construction of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway has been intensified. In June 2020, the first train on multimodal transit was launched on the Lanzhou-Kashgar-Irkeshtam-Osh-Andijan-Tashkent-Mary route. The implementation of these projects will significantly increase the geo-economic attractiveness of Central Asia as an important transit and communication hub between East and West.

The tourism potential of the region is being revealed. The number of travelers in Central Asia in 2016-2019 almost doubled - from 9.5 to 18.4 million people. 

According to the UN World Tourism Organization, foreign tourist flow to Uzbekistan increased by 27.3%, to Kazakhstan - by 10%. One of the world's largest publications, Lonely Planet, called Central Asia a "promising region to visit in 2020". Experts associate the positive dynamics with the facilitation of visa policies in almost all countries of the region, as well as with the "high-speed reforms" of Uzbekistan in the tourism sector.

Third, the awareness of the community of interests strengthens the perception of the region as an integral, consolidated player. The symbol of this pragmatic approach was the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, initiated by President Sh.Mirziyoyev.