OREANDA-NEWS. September 23, 2010. Japan is one of the most active trade and investment partners of Uzbekistan. The relationship between the two countries has been consistently developing in the frame the Declaration of Friendship, strategic partnership and cooperation signed in 2002. Japan has been widely supporting the progressive reforms implemented in Uzbekistan.

Many Japanese companies and organizations cooperate with Uzbekistan. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), opened its office in Tashkent in 1999, and has been working closely with Uzbekistan in many areas.

The members of the press tour, organized by the agency for media workers, were acquainted with JICA projects being implemented in Uzbekistan in the frame of grants, technical assistance and favorable loans.

Within the current JICA project on “Improvement of equipment of rehabilitation and prosthetic center for disabled,” 59 types of medical equipment were delivered to the center. The media tour participants were also familiarized with the implementation of joint project on granting a USD1.5 million USD loan for procurement of equipment for Kensoy professional college for fruit and vegetable processing and juice production as well as attraction of specialist to the Ferghana branch of Tashkent University of Information Technologies.

“Uzbekistan’s economy is developing gradually and consistently,” said deputy head of JICA missionto Uzbekistan Oki Sugimoto. “The reforms implemented under the leadership of President Islam Karimov give significant results. In future, we intend to develop and implement a lot of promising projects with Uzbekistan.”