Navoi Region: significant untapped potential for investment and employment opportunities.

The Navoi region is a territory with significant potential in terms of infrastructure, industry, and natural resources. Over the past seven years, $8 billion has been attracted to the region, resulting in the implementation of 6,500 projects. This year, the completion of 577 projects worth $2.2 billion is underway.

During the President's previous visit to the region, directives were issued for further economic development and the exploration of new opportunities. The meeting reviewed proposals prepared based on these directives.

For instance, new industrial enterprises are planned to be established on pasture lands near the chemical technology park in the Karmanin district. With existing infrastructure and raw materials, projects for the production of kaolin, quartz, silicon dioxide, and textile dyes could be launched here as soon as next year.

Chinese investors have expressed interest in the extraction and processing of quartz and granite in the Khatyrchin district. There are also 11 promising mineral deposits in the Kanimekh, Navbakhor, and Uchkuduk districts that are ripe for development.

Recreational areas capable of accommodating up to 10,000 tourists will be created on the 150-hectare territory around Lake Aydarkul, generating 200 new jobs. In the villages of Sentob, Langar, and Anghidon in the Nuratin and Khatyrchin districts, 200 family guesthouses will be organized, attracting up to 600,000 tourists annually and providing employment for 500 people.

The Navoi region contains 43 percent of all pasture lands in the country, yet only 5 percent of this area is utilized. To address this issue, forage, medicinal, and spice crops suitable for the local climate will be sown over 350,000 hectares using drones. These lands will then be distributed among the population. Additionally, goat and sheep farming will be developed in the Tamdinsky and Uchkuduk districts.

Furthermore, Tamdy and Nurata have the potential to specialize in the production of construction materials, livestock breeding, and tourism, while the Khatyrchin district is suited for the textile industry and horticulture. A modern laboratory for the certification of organic and non-GMO products is being established in the Khatyrchin district. Intensive orchards and vineyards will be developed on 500 hectares in this district and on 200 hectares in Navbakhor.

Plans are in place to stimulate the cultivation of in-demand market products. For example, it is proposed to import sunflower seeds from Italy and plant them over 10,000 hectares as a secondary crop. This will provide additional income for 5,000 residents, and the oil produced will be sufficient to meet the region's annual needs.

In the first 11 months of this year, 111,000 people were employed in the Navoi region. In 2025, it is planned to provide jobs for 140,000 individuals and lift 10,000 families out of poverty.

During the meeting, the governor of the Navoi region presented plans to tap into the region's reserves, attract investments totaling $2 billion, and increase exports to $320 million by 2025.

The President noted that these figures do not match the region's potential and instructed a review of the plans.

The meeting emphasized the need to implement new projects primarily in the Kanimekh, Nuratin, Khatyrchin, and Tamdinsky districts. The task was set to train the unemployed in modern professions and ensure they secure well-paying jobs both in Uzbekistan and abroad. It was underscored that the Navoi region, with its extensive economic opportunities and relatively small population, has the potential to become a region without unemployment.