BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 24. Uzbekistan and
the European Union have discussed preparations for upcoming
high-level meetings and joint events, with a focus on translating
diplomatic engagement into practical results, at a meeting on
October 23 in Tashkent.
This was reflected in the statement by Uzbekistan’s Foreign
Ministry, following a meeting between Uzbekistan’s Deputy Foreign
Minister Muzaffar Madrakhimov and EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Toivo
Klaar.
The sides emphasized the importance of making effective use of
existing cooperation mechanisms, maintaining consistent political
dialogue and strengthening ties in trade, the economy and other
priority areas.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue efforts to
expand mutually beneficial cooperation.
The meeting comes as Uzbekistan and the EU work to deepen their
partnership under the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement (EPCA), signed on October 24, 2025, and provisionally
applied since March 1, 2026. The agreement expands the framework
for cooperation in trade, investment and other areas of mutual
interest.
The EU and Uzbekistan have maintained formal bilateral relations
since Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, with their
cooperation initially governed by a Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement that took effect in 1999. The EU is one of Uzbekistan’s
key trading partners, accounting for 10.4% of the country’s total
foreign trade in 2024.
