Statement by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Uzbekistan

Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement after a meeting with Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in New York today:

“It was a pleasure to meet President Mirziyoyev and his delegation. Uzbekistan’s authorities are embarking on ambitious reforms, spearheaded by the recent foreign exchange reform. We very much welcome these initiatives, which are vital to strengthening the economy, creating more jobs, and achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.

“I congratulated President Mirziyoyev on his initiatives to improve regional cooperation with Uzbekistan’s neighbors. Regional cooperation is much needed to deal with the region’s biggest challenges, such as sharing water resources, creating an efficient regional energy grid, and facilitating transportation.

“Uzbekistan’s reform journey will be challenging and long. I reiterated the Fund’s commitment to partner with Uzbekistan in its journey to put the economy on a higher growth path and achieve better living standards for its people.”