BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Uzbekistan held talks with representatives of several global institutional investors and Barclays to discuss the country's economic outlook, sovereign credit profile and opportunities to expand investment in local-currency financial instruments.
This was reflected in a statement issued by the Uzbek Ministry of Economy and Finance following a meeting with representatives of Barclays, Artisan Partners, Global Evolution Asset Management, Kirkoswald Capital Partners, Sona Asset Management and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
According to the Ministry, the officials presented an overview of Uzbekistan's macroeconomic performance, economic reform agenda, investment climate and measures aimed at attracting greater international capital.
"The parties exchanged views on improving Uzbekistan's sovereign credit rating, achieving investment-grade status, expanding financing opportunities in the national currency, managing foreign exchange risks and further developing the domestic capital market," the ministry said in the statement.
Discussions also focused on strengthening local-currency financing and introducing hedging and swap instruments to help investors manage foreign exchange risks while increasing participation in Uzbekistan's domestic bond market.
According to the ministry, foreign investors highlighted strong demand for Uzbekistan's international bonds denominated in the national currency and expressed interest in expanding investments in the country's domestic debt market.
Representatives also answered questions on Uzbekistan's ongoing economic reforms, the banking and financial sector, privatization program and capital market development, outlining measures intended to improve market access and strengthen investor confidence.
The meeting comes as Uzbekistan seeks to deepen its integration into international capital markets while broadening its domestic investor base. The government has made improving the country's sovereign credit profile and achieving investment-grade status a strategic priority, alongside expanding the use of local-currency financing to reduce exposure to exchange-rate risks and strengthen financial market resilience.
Growing interest from global institutional investors reflects increasing confidence in Uzbekistan's reform agenda and macroeconomic stability. Continued development of domestic capital markets and risk-management instruments could help diversify funding sources, attract long-term foreign investment and support the government's broader objective of financing economic growth through market-based mechanisms.
