BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. Uzbekistan's Transport Ministry and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met to discuss accelerating joint infrastructure projects and expanding cooperation in road and tunnel construction.
This was reflected in a statement by the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan, following a meeting between the officials from Uzbekistan's Transport Ministry and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which was held on the sidelines of the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum.
The talks brought together JICA Vice President Yoshikawa Yoshifumi, Deputy Transport Minister Ilkhomjon Abdugafarov, and Road Committee Chairman Jamshid Tursunov.
The sides reviewed the progress of ongoing projects financed with JICA support.
"Specifically, these include projects to build a tunnel connecting the Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions, to reconstruct 37 km of roads and 4 bridges in the Samarkand region, and to reconstruct 45 km of roads in the Andijan region." the ministry said.
Participants stressed the importance of implementing the projects using optimal engineering solutions while ensuring compliance with environmental and sustainability standards.
The officials also agreed on the need to accelerate practical work on the projects and outlined next steps to advance their implementation.
In addition, the parties discussed expanding professional exchanges and developing proposals for grant-funded training programs that would allow Uzbek road sector specialists to study Japan's experience in the design, construction, and operation of tunnels and highways. The initiative includes plans for joint capacity-building courses aimed at strengthening technical and scientific expertise in the sector.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was established in 1974 and reorganized in 2008 into one of the world's largest bilateral development agencies. Headquartered in Tokyo, JICA provides official development assistance through loans, grants, and technical cooperation programs, supporting infrastructure, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and human resource development in more than 150 countries and regions.
