Uzbekistan's Minister of Energy, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, held a meeting on July 8 with Claude Imoven, Chairman of the Uzbek-French Business Council under the French organization MEDEF International, as well as with Walid Fook, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to Uzbekistan.
Discussion on Partnership and Investments
During this meeting, directions for further strengthening strategic partnership, as well as expanding interaction in the energy sector and implementing potential investment initiatives, were discussed. The parties emphasized that the state visit of Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to France contributed to elevating bilateral cooperation to a qualitatively different level.
Furthermore, it was noted that the recent trip of the Head of the Presidential Administration, Saida Mirziyoyeva, to France and her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron helped activate practical interaction, strengthen ties between business circles, and promote new investment projects.
Current State of Energy Cooperation
France is one of Uzbekistan's key partners in the energy industry. Currently, French companies are involved in the implementation of three major projects with a total value of 2 billion US dollars. Work is also underway on six other promising projects estimated at 1.8 billion US dollars. Thus, the total volume of joint energy initiatives between the two countries exceeds 4 billion US dollars.
Key Projects and Technologies
Particular attention during the meeting was paid to successful cooperation with the company EDF. Projects for building modern combined cycle power plants are being implemented in the Syrdarya and Surkhandarya regions, with a total capacity exceeding 3.1 GW. The contribution of TotalEnergies and Voltalia companies, which are actively working on projects to create solar and wind power plants, as well as energy storage systems, was highly appreciated.
As part of the negotiations, several French firms presented their presentations, demonstrating advanced technologies, innovative solutions, and proposals for launching new projects in Uzbekistan. Prospects for deepening cooperation in the fields of developing modern energy infrastructure, constructing new generation sources, main electrical grids, as well as developing industrial and gas transport infrastructure, improving energy efficiency, implementing digital solutions, engineering, specialist training, and experience exchange were discussed. In conclusion, the parties expressed readiness for further increasing investment cooperation and attracting modern technologies.
