Uzbekistan and the French Development Agency (AFD) have outlined a preliminary portfolio of 11 projects with an estimated total value of €1.125 billion, potentially to be implemented between 2027 and 2030. The package is not legally binding, and financing agreements for the full amount have not yet been signed.
Rail, urban transport and the energy transition
The proposed cooperation package was discussed during the seventh annual Uzbekistan – AFD consultations in Tashkent. Its main areas include energy and transport infrastructure, urban development, the green economy and support for the private sector. The two sides singled out the rehabilitation of the Tashkent – Samarkand railway line and the development of public transport in the capital as particularly important projects. Their estimated costs, technical parameters and implementation schedules have not yet been disclosed.
For 2027–2030, the partners identified the energy transition and decarbonisation, water supply, sustainable urban development, private-sector support and public-finance management as cooperation priorities. They also agreed to continue preparing energy and municipal infrastructure projects.
Existing portfolio moves toward implementation
The current Uzbekistan – AFD portfolio comprises 13 projects valued at €1.29 billion. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, disbursements under signed agreements have reached approximately €1 billion, or 78% of the portfolio’s total value.
A further nine projects worth €604.2 million are being prepared. Among them is the modernisation of drinking-water systems in Kashkadarya Region under an AFD programme that also covers Tashkent and Fergana regions. The programme has a total budget of €257.9 million, including €97 million earmarked for Kashkadarya.
The reconstruction of the Suyenli Canal in Karakalpakstan is estimated at $150 million and is being financed by AFD and the European Investment Bank. In the Aral Sea region, the two institutions, with support from the European Union and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, are helping restore more than 24,000 hectares of degraded land. The feasibility study has received €500,000 in funding.
The agreements reached at the consultations were recorded in a protocol and placed under joint monitoring. The partners intend to accelerate work on the projects currently in preparation. The next annual consultations are expected to take place in France.
Longer-term infrastructure cooperation
AFD has operated in Uzbekistan since 2015 and has approved 17 projects worth approximately €1.6 billion. Its activities include the modernisation of the Charvak dam, hydropower development in Andijan Region, water and sanitation programmes, and projects supporting the country’s transition to a greener economy.
The agency has also reported preparations for a project to reconstruct Uzbekistan’s electricity distribution networks and improve their resilience during periods of high winter and summer demand. The initiative is expected to be financed jointly with the Asian Development Bank.
For international companies in construction, transport equipment, urban mobility, engineering, utilities, architecture and interior development, the emerging portfolio signals a broad pipeline of potential tenders and partnership opportunities. The strongest prospects are likely to be connected with railway rehabilitation, public transport, energy infrastructure, water systems and sustainable urban projects, although the indicative status of the new portfolio means that market participants will need to monitor subsequent feasibility studies, procurement decisions and financing agreements.
