President Mirziyoyev receives EU delegation

On November 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with a European Union delegation led by Josef Síkela, Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement, who are visiting Uzbekistan on an official working visit, the President’s Press Service reported.

During the meeting, the sides discussed ways to develop trade, economic, and investment cooperation by implementing agreements reached during a high-level visit to Brussels in October of this year. The EU representatives conveyed warm regards from Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to the President of Uzbekistan.

President Mirziyoyev congratulated the EU commissioners in Tashkent on the successful conduct of the 3rd Central Asia–European Union Economic Forum and the Trans-Caspian Transport and Connectivity Investor Forum, noting that several new regional joint projects were launched as a result.

“The rapid development of Uzbekistan–EU relations and the formation of a new, broad agenda for bilateral and multilateral cooperation were positively highlighted,” the report stated.

This year, Uzbekistan signed the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) with the European Union. Summits were held in Samarkand and Brussels, and negotiations with the EU regarding Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO were concluded.

Since the beginning of the year, trade turnover has increased by nearly 7%. The implementation of the EPCA is expected to significantly boost trade volumes and investment flows between Uzbekistan and the EU.

During the meeting, it was emphasized that institutional mechanisms for cooperation should be further improved to expand and diversify trade. Priority areas for development include industrial cooperation, transport, digitalization, critical minerals, energy, healthcare, and other sectors, as well as the design of new joint investment projects.

The parties also exchanged views on pressing international and regional issues.

It is worth noting that in October of this year, in Brussels, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) with the European Union, alongside Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.