Prospects for developing cooperation with the EU were discussed

On September 6 this year, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev met with the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan Charlotte Adrian.

During the meeting, the current state and prospects for the development of trade, economic, financial and technical cooperation, as well as interaction within the framework of Uzbekistan’s entry into the World Trade Organization were discussed.

In particular, in the period from January to July 2022, the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and EU member states increased by 15% and amounted to $2.4 billion, which became possible due to Uzbekistan obtaining the status of a GSP+ beneficiary. Mutual readiness to maintain and extend this status was expressed.

The parties expressed their confidence that the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Uzbekistan and the EU will give a new impetus to further expand bilateral relations and improve economic development by attracting European investment and experience in such areas as technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, protection of intellectual property rights property, customs regulation, etc.

The course of interaction within the framework of Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO was discussed. The European side expressed its commitment to continue providing technical and advisory support to this process.

A new Indicative Partnership Program between the EU and Uzbekistan for 2021-2024 in the amount of 83 million euros was discussed. In this context, it is proposed to supplement the program with projects and initiatives in the field of modernization of agriculture and water management, economic development with a special focus on digital and green transformations and measures to transform the Aral Sea region into a zone of environmental innovation and technology.

At the end of the meeting, an agreement was reached to continue cooperation within the framework of the discussed initiatives, as well as issues of organizing bilateral events at various levels in the near future.