The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development decided to restrict its already minimal lending to Uzbekistan in April, after the bank decided that the country had failed to meet economic and humanitarian benchmarks it set one year ago.
In April 2003, EBRD president Jean Lemierre laid down seven political and economic benchmarks for the country including combating the systematic use of torture, decreasing state control of the media, and freeing up the country?s FX market.
The targets were set in response to widespread press and non-governmental organizations? criticism of the bank?s decision to hold its annual...
