During 17 – 29 November 2017, CLEANTECH LATVIA’s team of experts visited 3 cities of Uzbekistan: Navoi, Bukhara and Qarshi in the framework of project “Latvian clean technologies cluster CLEANTECH LATVIA support for regional authorities (Hokimiyats) to raise capacity of rural regions in Uzbekistan”.
The project is supported by the The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Latvia and Uzbekistan by creating platforms for experience exchange. During the trips, CLEANTECH LATVIA team was accompanied personally by the Mr. Mihails Popkovs, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The main goal of this trainings was to expand economic and environmental potential of the regions. The trainings were based on the local requirements and needs, for example regional and urban development, efficient infrastructural solutions, rational use of resources and alternative energy sources.
Team of 7 experts was divided into workshops by the following key topics:

• Efficient planning and management of natural resources for long-term economic development of the region;
• Efficient management of water resources, meeting with technological solutions on drinking and technical water preparation, as well as wastewater treatment;
• Solid waste from cities and regions, appropriate polygon planning, sorting, recycling, disposal and biogas extraction. Preparation of projects for attraction of investments;
• Sustainable urban and regional planning, effective use of natural resources;
• Agricultural and biological waste recycling by means of biogas and co-generation;
• Soil remediation by different methods.

Local cooperation partners gathered responsible organizations and companies, which shared information on the status of existing problems which require expertise from specialists of CLEANTECH LATVIA.
During the trip our experts could meet with regional key persons from governmental, as well as from private sectors: heads of regions’ administrations and municipalities, business owners.
CLEANTECH LATVIA experts also carried out site-visits, including visiting water treatment stations, waste recycling factories, oil and gas enterprises.
As a result of this trainings, opportunities and priorities for bilateral cooperation were identified and agreements on implementation of range of projects were reached.

Project was implemented within the framework of the Development Co-operation Grant Program.