Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 18 March, the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan hosted a meeting with representatives of the French Development Agency (AFD) and Expertise France.

The negotiations brought together Jérémie Pellet, Director General of Expertise France, Louise Poudré Hardy, AFD’s Regional Coordinator, and Olivier Grandvoinnet, Head of the AFD Representative Office in Tashkent. On the Uzbek side, the discussions were attended by First Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Ilkhom Norkulov, Deputy Minister Umid Abidhodjayev, and other officials.

The key topics of discussion included the implementation of the "Green Economy" credit program and the GETAP technical assistance program, improvements to the greenhouse gas emissions monitoring system, the development of a green budget, environmental taxation, and the introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Special attention was given to measures aimed at reducing fossil fuel subsidies, promoting sustainable construction and public procurement, and integrating ESG principles into the operations of state-owned enterprises. A crucial part of the talks was the discussion of AFD’s planned financing of €100 million for the 2025–2026 period.

During the meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed: the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Energy, and Expertise France concluded a Memorandum of Understanding on energy policy and climate cooperation.

Under the agreement, Expertise France will allocate €1.5 million to support reforms in the fields of energy and sustainable development.

At the conclusion of the discussions, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further collaboration, agreeing to accelerate reforms in the green economy, develop master plans for sustainable urban development, and expand cooperation with the French Development Agency and Expertise France.