ADB and Karakalpakstan Shift Focus from Roads to Economic Corridor

Anvar Umarov

· 21:45, 15.10.2026 · Updated 00:11 · 1129 views

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Republic of Karakalpakstan signed an updated memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to support the region’s socioeconomic development.

The document was signed by Kanokpan Lao-Araya, director of the ADB Resident Mission in Uzbekistan, and Ajiniyaz Kaipnazarov, deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

The ceremony took place at Berdakh Karakalpak State University during the opening of ADB Days in Karakalpakstan.

The memorandum was prepared under a presidential decree adopted specifically for Karakalpakstan. The decree called for the signing of an agreement with ADB to develop a regional development strategy based on the “economic growth corridor” approach.

Atamurat Shamuratov, deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers, also attended the event.

The memorandum covers 32 ongoing and prospective projects. Projects currently under active implementation are worth more than US$700 million. The value of prospective projects was not disclosed.

According to Lao-Araya, the updated document differs only slightly from the memorandum signed in May 2025.

“We are updating some projects… there are no significant changes,” she told journalists.

The memorandum focuses on ADB’s project portfolio in the region, including renewable energy and power transmission lines, water supply and wastewater management, social projects, and access to financing for small businesses. She noted that Karakalpakstan would participate in a number of these initiatives alongside other regions of Uzbekistan.

A key priority remains regional connectivity along the A380 highway, which ADB considers part of the Middle Corridor. Lao-Araya said the bank intends to go beyond road construction and develop an economic corridor that includes services, schools and cross-border export infrastructure.

“Infrastructure in itself means nothing if it is not used,” she said.

Karakalpakstan accounts for around 20% of ADB’s portfolio in Uzbekistan, although the region is home to approximately 2 million of the country’s 38 million people, Lao-Araya noted.

She said the region serves as a gateway for Uzbekistan’s connections with other countries and is among the areas most affected by climate challenges. This was why ADB had come to the region to update its approach on the ground.