CA-NEWS (UZ) - Vice-President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia Philippe Le Houerou completed his four-day visit to Uzbekistan. This visit was part of a tour to Central Asia, which also included visits to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, reported the office of the World Bank in Tashkent on May 30.

During his visit to Uzbekistan, Le Houerou met with representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economy to discuss key strategic and operational issues, and visited projects that are implemented with the support of the WB.

This 20th anniversary of cooperation between the World Bank and Uzbekistan is marked this year.

"The World Bank is encouraged by the strategic long-term goals for the development of Uzbekistan, which will turn the state into an industrialized country with middle income by mid-century. Country has witnessed a good economic performance, but there are important things to be done," said Le Houerou.

Le Houerou visited a project supported by the World Bank "Drainage, irrigation and improvement of wetlands" in the Southern Karakalpakstan. Project succeeded in reducing the groundwater level, which led to the desalination of irrigated lands, improvement of water quality in Amu Darya River, as well as reduction of the energy consumption of pumping stations. He visited sites in Beruni and talked to farmers about the effectiveness of the project.

"I am pleased to observe first hand progress that the country reaches. World Bank stands ready to support an ambitious program of the government, contributing not only by financial resources, but also technical expertise and international experience of the bank," said Le Houerou at the end of his visit to Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in 1992. Currently, there are 10 projects in the process of implementation financed by the Bank, the total amount of liabilities for which amounts to $ 630 million.