On September 27, 2024, the Wismar Eastern Institute (Ostinstitut, Germany) hosted a scientific and economic conference on the topic "Legal Conditions for Investments in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan." One of the key speakers was Bahodir Atakhanov, сhairman of the National Association of Investment Institutions (NAII) and a professional mediator.

According to Ostinstitut, the conference was prompted by large-scale reforms in economic and administrative law carried out in recent years in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Additionally, the German government has focused its support on the development and economic advancement of these republics. As a result, Western companies are increasingly asking: Can Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan become attractive investment alternatives to Russia?

The conference was organized by country, with presentations divided into sections covering labor, corporate, tax, and economic-administrative law. Speakers shared experiences and analyzed the current legal conditions for businesses in both republics.

Participants included representatives from the German Development Cooperation Sociaty (GIZ), the German Committee On Eastern European Economic Relations (Ost-Ausschuss), the Representative Office of German Business in Central Asia (AHK), the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Germany, and the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, along with experts from Europe, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Bahodir Atakhanov made a speech on the specifics of establishing businesses in Uzbekistan, paying particular attention to the interests of foreign companies. He urged Western investors to consider Uzbekistan as a promising investment destination and emphasized the need for joint efforts to address the issues hindering the improvement of the country's investment climate.