Tashkent International Investment Forum 2026 opens with major investor pledges from Uzbekistan

The Tashkent International Investment Forum 2026 opened with Uzbekistan signaling its reform-driven growth and readiness to deepen partnerships with global investors. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed nearly 4,000 foreign guests from more than 100 countries as the fifth edition kicked off under the theme 'Investment Resilience: New Frontiers, New Partnerships'. Senior officials from Albania, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan joined representatives from major international financial institutions. A central announcement was the planned creation of the Tashkent International Financial Centre, operating under English common law and backed by a dedicated constitutional framework. The regime would offer a zero percent corporate income tax, VAT, property tax and customs duties, along with guarantees for free movement of capital and transactions in any currency. An independent financial regulator and a Tashkent International Commercial Court staffed by foreign judges and international experts were also proposed. Uzbekistan has attracted more than USD 150 billion in foreign investment in recent years, including USD 123 billion over the past five years. Last year the country posted 7.7 percent GDP growth, with foreign investment of about USD 43 billion and international reserves exceeding USD 70 billion. The president framed these reforms as strengthening investor confidence and advancing currency liberalisation, privatisation, capital markets development and Islamic finance.