A delegation led by the Rt Hon Sir Tony Blair, a former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, executive chairman of Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, visited the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan and IT Park Uzbekistan to explore prospects for collaboration in the digital sector.
As part of the visit, the delegation was presented with an overview of the ongoing reforms, strategic priorities, and future plans pursued by IT Park Uzbekistan and the Ministry. The presentation highlighted initiatives aimed at strengthening the national digital infrastructure and enhancing Uzbekistan’s position in the global IT landscape.
The delegation became acquainted with the activities of key institutions under the Ministry’s purview, including the “Ustudy IT Academy”, which focuses on developing domestic IT talent, the “UZSOC” Center for Innovative Projects in the field of cybersecurity, and the national digital services operator “UZINFOCOM”. Special attention was given to projects involving artificial intelligence and emerging digital solutions.
A central part of the visit included a meeting between Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov and Sir Tony Blair. The discussion focused on advancing digital infrastructure in Uzbekistan and addressing a broad range of strategic issues.
Key topics included the development of international outsourcing services, the training of local specialists to meet global standards, expansion of education programs through cooperation with “Coursera”, and the favorable business climate — including tax incentives — created by IT Park Uzbekistan for foreign investors. The outcomes of the “Zero Risk” initiative were also presented.
Discussions further covered the preparation of young professionals in the fields of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, enhancing English-language training effectiveness, and organizing capacity-building programs with international experts.
Proposals were raised to position Uzbekistan as a regional IT hub, reduce operational costs through the engagement of European companies as IT Park residents, and utilize remote work models more effectively.
The delegation also reviewed initiatives to attract major cloud service providers to utilize eco-friendly data centers currently under construction in partnership with “DataVolt” and “ACWA Power”. Additional discussions touched on plans to establish new data centers via direct foreign investment, drawing from Saudi Arabia’s experience.
Both sides exchanged views on accelerating digitization, fostering a startup ecosystem, and enhancing the country’s attractiveness to global technology firms.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Shermatov extended official invitations to Sir Tony Blair to attend the UN Civil Service Forum scheduled for June in Samarkand, as well as the ICT Week Uzbekistan, set to take place in Tashkent from September 23 to 25.
The meeting concluded with mutual expressions of appreciation and a shared commitment to deepening future cooperation.
For information: the Institute, established by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2016, is an international non-profit organization. It assists various countries in developing new models of sustainable and innovative growth, combating climate change and other modern challenges.
