Alisher Usmanov: I will allocate all my resources to support Uzbekistan

"I will direct all my resources and efforts to help Uzbekistan and for the good of the country. This is my biggest goal, for this purpose I gave up running a business and even being a shareholder of many of my projects", billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who is ranked number 112 on Forbes' list, told the Italian edition of Tgcom24.

It is noted that Usmanov currently resides in Tashkent. He is believed to have arrived in the country after the war and EU sanctions.

Alisher Usmanov said in an interview that he witnessed three different eras in Uzbekistan. The first was during the Soviet Union, the second was when the republic gained independence in 1991, and the third is the current period - starting in 2016.

He has also repeatedly denied being an oligarch, insisting that he made his fortune doing business on the open market.

"I have never received gifts from the government. Everything we did in our holding company, we did under market conditions," the businessman added.