At long last! The agreement between Uzbekistan and the EU, which has been under discussion for 3 years, was signed

Yesterday 6 July, the signing ceremony of the agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation (AEPC) between Uzbekistan and the European Union took place in Brussels.  The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Sardor Umurzakov, participated in it on behalf of Uzbekistan.

The new agreement was developed to replace the existing Partnership and Cooperation agreement signed between Uzbekistan and the EU in 1996 and is expected to bring bilateral cooperation to a qualitatively new level.

The existing agreement mainly includes provisions on cooperation in the field of human rights, development of cultural relations, financial and technical cooperation, investment, trade in goods and services, and protection of intellectual property.

The AEPC covers a broader range of issues. These include trade and related issues, including customs administration, technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, competition and public enterprises, public procurement, dispute resolution, and others.

In addition, the new agreement, which incorporates the basic rules of the World Trade Organization, has significantly expanded the scope of relations in the areas of investment partnerships, trade in goods, services, and intellectual property.

Negotiations on the AEPC project began in February 2019 and ended in late June 2022.  During this period, 10 rounds of talks and more than 150 meetings were held at the level of experts, chief negotiators, and members of the government.

During the ceremony, the parties expressed their readiness to work together to sign the agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation and complete the necessary legal procedures for its entry into force, and then ensure its full and qualitative implementation.