TASHKENT, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan's GDP is projected to reach 300 billion U.S. dollars by 2030, with cumulative foreign investment inflows expected to total 450 billion dollars over the next decade, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said Friday.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the country's independence, Mirziyoyev said the target set three years ago to reach a GDP of 160 billion dollars by 2030 would be surpassed in 2026, bringing the nation into the upper-middle-income group.
The president noted that Uzbekistan has advanced 80 places in the Index of Economic Freedom, joining the ranks of countries with moderately free economies.
Outlining future economic plans, he announced a national program aimed at transitioning the economy toward a high-tech, high-productivity model. The initiative aims to create 2 million high-paying jobs in the industrial sector, with a focus on startups, venture financing, and artificial intelligence.
An ecosystem will also be developed to help small businesses transition into medium-sized enterprises, and medium-sized companies into large corporations, Mirziyoyev added. ■