BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Uzbekistan’s
National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity and the Silk Road Fund
have signed an agreement to finance major infrastructure projects
in Uzbekistan with funding of up to $395 million.


This was announced in a statement published by the Uzbekistan’s
National Bank.


According to the bank, the agreement was signed on the sidelines
of the 11th Belt and Road Summit, held in Hong Kong on September
9–10 during a high-level Uzbek delegation’s visit led by Prime
Minister Abdulla Aripov.


"Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly identify,
assess and structure infrastructure projects for potential
financing through long-term credit lines from the Silk Road Fund.
The financing will focus in particular on the modernization of
Uzbekistan’s transport infrastructure, including the construction
of modern toll expressways," National bank said in a statement.


The agreement is part of Uzbekistan’s broader efforts to attract
long-term international financing for priority infrastructure
projects and expand cooperation with Chinese financial
institutions.


The deal is also aligned with Uzbekistan’s 2026 State Investment
Program, under which the National Bank is expected to attract up to
$1.5 billion from leading international financial institutions to
support priority projects across the country.







The Silk Road Fund is a Chinese state-owned investment fund
established to support infrastructure and other economic projects
in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.


The agreement with the fund marks another step in the expansion
of financial and investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and
China, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative.


The sides will work together on the selection and preparation of
projects, potentially creating a pipeline of infrastructure
investments backed by long-term financing.


The focus on transport infrastructure comes as Uzbekistan seeks
to upgrade connectivity, develop modern road infrastructure and
attract private and international capital for large-scale
infrastructure projects.