On April 8 this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, S. Umurzakov, had a video conference with President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), B. Hajjar, to discuss cooperation in order to ensure effective protection of the population under the spread of coronavirus infection, strengthen the public health system of Uzbekistan to timely diagnose and treat infected people, as well as mitigate the impact of the global pandemic on social and economic development.

The IDB President B. Hajjar noted that decisive and ambitious measures taken under the authority of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to ensure the protection of public health and maintain economic activity worth great respect.

Hajjar informed that IDB was ready to comprehensively support Uzbekistan through ‘Strategic Readiness and Response Package’ (totally amounted to USD 2.3 billion). This resource is designed to assist the Bank's member countries under a global pandemic.

He noted that the IDB, in particular, allocated USD 17 million from the current loan portfolio of the Bank in Uzbekistan to finance urgent purchases of medical equipment and products for new clinics established to combat coronavirus.

Hajjar also expressed his readiness to provide additional support to Uzbekistan through the redirection of USD 46 million saved by the IDB on infrastructure projects to equip new clinics for patients infected with coronavirus.

The IDB’s President assured that the Bank was ready to expand assistance hereof, including through its subsidiaries, such as the International Islamic Trade and Finance Corporation, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, etc.

The video conference resulted in agreement to work out additional financing from the IDB for the needs of public health system and support for small and medium-sized enterprises in Uzbekistan totaling more than USD 140 million.