Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has inaugurated major projects worth $7.1 billion in Surkhandarya region, collaborating with foreign investors.

During a public ceremony, Mirziyoyev met with investors and symbolically launched 44 projects spanning mining, geology, light and furniture industries, as well as services and tourism, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Thirteen projects totaling $741 million involve investors from China, Türkiye, India, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan, while 31 projects worth $6.3 billion include partners from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, China, India, UAE, Russia, and Afghanistan.

The initiatives are expected to create 18,000 jobs, generate industrial output worth 82 trillion soms, and boost exports by $1.4 billion.