BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev appointed Sherzod Khodjaev as the country's new energy minister, replacing Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov.
According to the presidential decree, Khodjaev was relieved of his previous post as director of the Energy Market Development and Regulation Agency following his appointment.
His nomination was approved earlier by the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan's Oliy Majlis before the presidential appointment, according to the statement.
Mirzamakhmudov was dismissed from the post of energy minister under a separate presidential decree. No reason for the leadership change was disclosed. Prior to leading the ministry, he headed the Uzatom nuclear energy agency and the state chemical company Uzkimyosanoat, and also served as first deputy energy minister and director general of Uzatom from 2019 to 2020.
Khodjaev has extensive experience in Uzbekistan's energy sector. He headed the Project Office for Electricity Sector Reform under the Energy Ministry in 2023 before being appointed director of the Energy Market Development and Regulation Agency in 2024. He has led the agency since then, overseeing reforms aimed at improving the governance and regulation of the country's energy market.
The Energy Ministry plays a central role in implementing Uzbekistan's energy sector reforms, including expanding renewable energy capacity, modernizing electricity and gas infrastructure, improving energy efficiency and attracting foreign investment into the sector. The appointment comes as Uzbekistan continues efforts to diversify its energy mix and meet rapidly growing domestic energy demand.
