International Monetary Fund Mission headed by the Counselor of the IMF department for the Mid East and Central Asia Erik de Vryer visited Uzbekistan from March 10 to 24

International Monetary Fund Mission headed by the Counselor of the IMF department for the Mid East and Central Asia Erik de Vryer visited Uzbekistan from March 10 to 24. In the joint-release of the government and the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the IMF mission, it is noted that that the useful exchange of opinions over the state program of macroeconomic and structural reforms for the year of 2004 was held between the IMF mission and the official organs of Uzbekistan. According to the IMF mission, some acceleration of the economic growth was observed in the second half of the last year in Uzbekistan, and the current account convertibility had the positive results. Last year the positive balance of the foreign trade of Uzbekistan increased up to 760.8 million USD, the international reserves increased, certain successes were achieved in the reforms of agricultural and power industry spheres, the administrative reforms started and the customs burden was reduced. The IMF mission greeted Uzbekistan’s efforts to enter the World Trade Organization.