EU and Uzbekistan deepen ties with new partnership agreement signed in Brussels

By&nbspEuronews

Published connected 24/10/2025 - 16:52 GMT+2 •Updated 17:01

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was successful Brussels connected Friday to be nan signing of an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) pinch nan Presidents of nan European Council and nan European Commission, marking a caller shape successful their partnership.

This document, signed connected behalf of nan EU by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa, replaces nan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed successful 1996.

Through this pact, nan EU is demonstrating a desire to deepen ties pinch countries successful Central Asia.

"Today we are delivering connected that committedness by reinforcing our long-standing narration pinch Uzbekistan," von der Leyen said successful a statement.

This caller matter strengthens governmental speech betwixt Brussels and Tashkent. But it besides consolidates galore areas specified arsenic trade, investment, research, sustainable improvement and intelligence property.

The 2 partners besides discussed exchanges successful caller sectors specified arsenic captious earthy materials needed for ecological and integer transitions.

To emphasise nan value of this economical aspect, Mirziyoyev besides met pinch board of European companies and banks successful Brussels connected Friday.

Uzbekistan is "a state that is growing, a state pinch a young population, a mini state that is positioned arsenic an IT hub. An IT hub, not only successful Central Asia, but besides pinch nan diverseness of group who unrecorded successful Uzbekistan, pinch nan anticipation of providing services each complete nan world," said Jean-Philippe Gillet, President Fixed and Maritime Vertical astatine SES, a mean and precocious orbit outer communications company.

"We supply outer capabilities to precisely digitise nan state and supply world sum wrong nan country," he added.

Trade betwixt nan EU and Tashkent reached €4.8 cardinal past year, a fig that has almost doubled since 2020.

The EU is Uzbekistan's 3rd largest trading partner, accounting for 10.4% of nan country's waste and acquisition successful 2024.

Tashkent exports 7.2% of its equipment to Member States, making nan bloc Uzbekistan's 2nd largest export partner.