Uzbekistan and Russia signed an agreement on cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in 2017.

The agreement paves the way for initial stage financing of $800 million for the new gas chemical complex in Uzbekistan's Bukhara region.

The financial details of the cooperation between Ferkensco and Gazprombank have not yet been disclosed, though Ferkensco will implement both projects.

The vast country, with its relatively small population, attracts about 60 percent of all capital invested in the five former Soviet Central Asian states.

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in January signed a breakthrough agreement on the exploration and development of the Dostlug field.