"We have a desire, you have technologies": The President invited Malaysian businesses to invest in Uzbekistan

During his official visit to Kuala Lumpur on February 5, the President of Uzbekistan announced the creation of a special economic zone in the Tashkent region for companies from Malaysia.

"We have opened an economic zone with full preferences for companies from Malaysia. This means that you will have the unique opportunities that we provide to entrepreneurs all over the world. I will take control of this process myself. The land is ready, communications are prepared, " he said on the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel.

The President stressed that despite the great distance between Uzbekistan and Malaysia, both countries have "a strong will and desire for partnership."

Shavkat Mirziyoyev also said that during the talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, projects in such areas as energy, artificial intelligence, digital technologies, agriculture, education and the creation of data centers were discussed.

"We discussed a lot of issues and reached agreements. All issues are resolved. Time is moving fast, and we are ready to create all the necessary conditions for the implementation of the agreements reached. We have the desire, you have the technology. I am sure that if we combine this, we will achieve significant results, " the President of Uzbekistan said.

He also said that $ 1 billion of foreign investment was attracted to Uzbekistan in 2016, and last year this amount increased to $ 35 billion, which indicates the growing confidence of foreign investors.

The President assured that he would personally take responsibility for supporting entrepreneurs and partners from Malaysia.

"The Cabinet of Ministers will make a separate decision on each of your projects, and responsible persons will be appointed. Anwar Ibrahim and I will take control of this. Uzbekistan is open to you. We are the gateway to Central Asia and are always ready to welcome you with the policy of openness, " the Head of state stressed.

Following the talks, several cooperation agreements were signed in such areas as customs, higher education, healthcare, as well as a protocol on joint work to create "smart" cities and a plan to deepen partnership in the fight against corruption in 2025-2026.

The President also expressed support for the plans of the Malaysian company Petronas to implement projects of deep processing of raw materials and "green" energy in Uzbekistan. The main areas of cooperation will be geological exploration and development of hydrocarbon deposits.