(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 16. A bilateral meeting was held between Sarvar Nazarov, Director of the Department of Public Procurement Policy of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Zhentu Liu, the newly appointed Head of the World Bank's Public Procurement Group for Central Asia, Trend reports.

During the meeting, the sides reviewed joint projects implemented through 2025 and identified priority areas for cooperation in shaping initiatives for the current year and 2026.

The parties reached an agreement on the implementation of projects in several key areas, including:

• developing a program to provide systematic support for manufacturing enterprises, including small businesses, in public procurement, based on advanced international practices and with the involvement of foreign experts;
• conducting expert studies to comprehensively assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the public procurement system;
• studying international experience to improve contract management in public procurement, with the preparation of projects to involve international experts.

Great care was taken to whip up skilled professionals in the realm of public procurement. The World Bank expressed readiness to provide technical assistance in establishing a system for training and continuous professional development at the Training Center under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as introducing mechanisms for assessing qualifications through certification.

The discussions also covered a wide range of additional topics, such as strengthening public procurement management and control systems, enhancing monitoring mechanisms, introducing anti-corruption measures and prevention strategies, ensuring the effective implementation of a centralized procurement system, applying artificial intelligence in procurement automation, and advancing“green” procurement practices.

Following the talks, the sides agreed to develop a clear and structured“roadmap” for the current and upcoming years and to intensify the practice of regular online consultations.

MENAFN16082025000187011040ID1109936037