The President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Haruhiko Kuroda arrived on 31 October in Tashkent for a two-day official visit as part of efforts to further strengthen ADB’s relationship with Uzbekistan and to gain first hand perspective on the progress of ADB operations in country.

Mr. Kuroda met with President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to exchange views on major issues related to the country’s and region’s economic and social progress, strengthening cooperation in economic reforms, and the role of ADB in these processes.

"This is Mr. Kuroda’s second visit to Uzbekistan as ADB President after he assumed office on 1 February 2005," said Hong Wei, Country Director of ADB’s Uzbekistan Resident Mission. "It shows great importance ADB attaches to its partnership with Uzbekistan as one of its most important and valued clients in the region."

Mr. Kuroda signed a Loan Agreement for the Public Finance Management Reform Project. The US$20.7 million loan, approved by the ADB’s Board of Directors on 28 June 2007, will improve planning and utilization of public resources and will promote efficiency and transparency in budget execution processes.

The project includes the establishment of a nationwide network of treasury offices that will serve budgetary organizations and revenue collection agencies; the modernization of treasury operations through the development of a government financial management information system and telecommunication networking; and project management, monitoring and evaluation through a central accounting system.

Mr. Kuroda will visit ADB-supported education projects in Samarkand to see the progress of ADB’s assistance to country’s education sector.




ADB has strong relationship with Uzbekistan in education and has now provided loans and technical assistance grants for more than US$260 million in the sector, including projects for the development of textbooks and the textbook rental scheme, policy reform, rural school development, and senior secondary education development since 1996.

Mr. Kuroda will leave for Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 1 November to participate in the 6th Ministerial Conference of ADB’s Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC).

ADB is helping to improve the livelihoods of the poorest people of Uzbekistan. Since 1996 ADB have provided US$995.6 million for 24 loans and 69 TA grants totaling US$37.24 million for education, health, agriculture, water supply and transport sectors of Uzbekistan.

ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2006, it approved loans and grants for projects totaling US$8.5 billion, and technical assistance amounting to almost US$242 million.