Uzbekistanin suurlähettiläs Timur Rakhmanov vieraili Helsingissä tapaamassa EastChamin jäsenyrityksiä. Kuva: Patrik Saarto/EastCham.
Ambassador Rakhmanov: Uzbekistan is changing rapidly – education is one of the cornerstones
EastCham supports Finnish companies in Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, located at the heart of Central Asia, both the economy and the population are growing rapidly. In recent years, economic growth has exceeded six percent, and the country’s young population of 38 million increases by 0.7 million people each year.
Together with an increasingly international and liberalizing economic policy, this growth creates the conditions for rapid development, which in turn drives demand for investment and modernization. A key task is to ensure that new generations have adequate educational infrastructure.
– After seven years we will need more schools, after twenty years we will need more universities, describes the situation Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Finland and Baltic countries Timur Rakhmanov.
According to Rakhmanov, Uzbekistan is changing so quickly that the country can seem different even between consecutive visits.
– If you visited a year ago, believe me, it’s already a different Uzbekistan. That’s why welcome to Uzbekistan, Rakhmanov says, encouraging companies to travel to his home country.
Office in Almaty finds the relevant contacts
The rapid growth and the focus on education were also noted by President of Finland Alexander Stubb during his visit to Uzbekistan in autumn 2025 together with Finnish companies
– With a young and growing population, Uzbekistan is making investments in education and related development efforts. There are plenty of opportunities for cooperation in this area, President Stubb said after the trip.
EastCham was responsible for organizing the business program of the visit, in which Ambassador Rakhmanov also played a key role. During the visit, EastCham and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Business Council. The purpose of the Business Council is to promote direct connections between Finnish and Uzbek companies, organize visits and business events, and share market information in both directions.
For issues related to Uzbekistan, EastCham provides support through the Almaty office in Kazakhstan.
– We are here to find and facilitate your conversation with the local counterparts in Uzbekistan, says Senior Business Advisor, Head of EastCham in Kazakhstan Altyn Shakirkhanova.
Uzbekistan’s Ambassador Timur Rakhmanov visited Helsinki at Eteläranta 10 on February 12 to meet EastCham’s member companies. His diplomatic base is in Riga.