TASHKENT, APRIL 11  : Uzbek and Russian companies have agreed to implement 33 projects worth 2.2 billion U.S. dollars following a business week and exhibition here, organizers of the event said Friday.

“Uzbekistan is gradually expanding opportunities for cooperation with partner countries,” said Denis Manturov, minister of industry and trade of Russia, who led a Russian delegation to the international exhibition held in the Uzbek capital.

“The republic is liberalizing tax, customs and currency legislation, creating free economic zones and updating sectoral development strategies,” Manturov said.

Russia will fully support Uzbekistan’s desire for greater openness and build up cooperation with Uzbek partners, he said.

The projects included the exploration and development of a gas field in southern Uzbekistan costing about 2 billion dollars, 900 million of which will be financed by Russian financial institutions.

According to the organizers, 300 Russian companies participated in the exhibition, while business delegations from Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, France, the Czech Republic and Japan also attended the event.