President Mirziyoyev aims to ease EAEU citizen entry into Uzbekistan

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced plans to simplify entry procedures for citizens of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries during his participation as an observer at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in St. Petersburg on December 26.

The meeting, chaired by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, was attended by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, alongside representatives from observer states Iran and Cuba.

In his address, Mirziyoyev highlighted Uzbekistan’s growing engagement with the EAEU, noting that trade with member states increased by 11% in 2024. He referenced a new three-year cooperation plan adopted in October, outlining 40 measures across trade, industry, finance, and agriculture.

Uzbekistan actively participates in EAEU programs on trade digitization, e-commerce, and climate change. Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of reducing trade barriers and called for expert discussions to eliminate tariff and non-tariff restrictions between Uzbekistan and EAEU countries.

The President also expressed interest in joining the Unified Customs Transit System and proposed accelerating electronic data exchange across customs borders. Additionally, Uzbekistan plans to finalize procedures to join the Eurasian Development Bank by early next year.

Mirziyoyev suggested holding the Eurasian Economic Union Business Council meeting in Tashkent in April 2025 to foster stronger business ties. He also proposed enhancing cooperation in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and agriculture.

To boost tourism, Mirziyoyev announced Uzbekistan’s readiness to introduce a system allowing EAEU citizens to enter the country using internal documents.