AKIPRESS.COM - The European Union will provide a financial assistance worth 168 million euros to Uzbekistan, head of the EU delegation in Uzbekistan Yuri Sterk told journalists on July 1 at a presentation of EU Strategy for Central Asia for 2014-2020.

Sterk told journalists that the EU issued 70.6 million euros to Uzbekistan in 2007-2013, and it is planned to increase the volume of EU financial assistance to Uzbekistan by over twice in 2014-2020.

The money will go for the development of rural areas in Uzbekistan, improvement of irrigation infrastructure, introducing renewable energy in agribusiness, and creation of jobs.

The EU will increase assistance to Central Asia by 1.5 times in 2014-2020 compared to previous seven-year project – to 1.068 billion euros.