Head of European Diplomacy to visit Uzbekistan

Today, March 27, Kaia Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, will chair the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This year’s meeting will be attended by representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, according to the European Union Delegation to Uzbekistan.  

Discussions at the ministerial meeting will cover preparations for the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit, scheduled to take place in Samarkand on April 3-4, 2025. Other key topics include Russia’s war in Ukraine and its regional impact, transport and digital connectivity, critical raw materials, energy and water resources, trade, people-to-people exchanges, education, and research.  

Before the meeting, Kallas will hold bilateral talks with Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Following the ministerial session, she is scheduled to hold a press conference at approximately 2:45 p.m. on March 27.  

Later, Kallas will travel to Tashkent to meet with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. She will then continue her regional tour in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where she is set to meet Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on March 28. Additionally, she is scheduled for a bilateral meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.