Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s water supply company “Uzsuvta’minot” and the French company Suez have signed an agreement to modernize the water supply system in the Surkhandarya region. The document was formalized as part of the Uzbek-French business forum held on 11 March, ahead of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to France.

At the forum, more than 20 agreements were concluded in key sectors such as agriculture, energy, the green economy, urban planning, transport, mining, healthcare, and education.

According to the signed Termsheet, the first phase of the project in Surkhandarya will focus on implementing digital solutions such as SCADA, GIS, and Aquadvance. These technologies will automate water resource management, optimize the distribution of drinking water, and reduce water losses. The agreement is valued at $8.3 million.

Paul Bourdillon, Suez’s General Director for Europe and Central Asia, highlighted that only 40% of the population in Uzbekistan’s southern and southwestern regions currently has access to water. The project aims to increase this figure to 80–90%.

Suez has prior experience working in Uzbekistan. In 2020, the company signed an agreement with the Tashkent mayor’s office and the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services to modernize the capital’s water supply and sewage systems. Additionally, Suez is involved in constructing wastewater treatment facilities in Tashkent region, with a capacity of processing 1 million cubic meters of wastewater per day. This initiative will provide centralized sewage services for over 500,000 residents and 100 enterprises.