The European Union and Central Asia plan to launch a new strategic partnership on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on her social media X account.
Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X:
“It means we can rely on each other. And in today’s world, this matters more than ever.”
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday.
The sides considered issues of deepening interaction in trade, economic and investment spheres. The total volume of joint projects with European companies exceeds 30 billion euros.
Uzbekistan is a major partner of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and a representative office of the European Investment Bank will soon open in Tashkent.
Particular attention was paid to preparations for the signing of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Co-operation between Uzbekistan and the EU.
Ursula von der Leyen noted the importance of implementing projects in transport and logistics, including the Trans-Caspian international transport route. She also congratulated Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the discovery of a large deposit of rare-earth metals in Kazakhstan.
Uzbekistan is hosting the first ever EU-Central Asia summit on April 3-4. The summit is chaired by Mirziyoyev and attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
