Talks between Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev and the head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Charlotte Adriaen were held.
They discussed 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 at the meeting.
Obtaining the status of a GSP+ beneficiary by Uzbekistan made it possible to increase the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the EU member states by 15% (to $2.4 billion) in the period from January to July 2022. Mutual readiness to maintain and extend these relations was expressed by the parties.
According to the sides, a new impetus to further expand bilateral relations and improve economic development will be given by the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Uzbekistan and the EU and attracting European investment and experience in such areas as technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, protection of intellectual property rights, customs regulation and more.
The participants also discussed the course of interaction within the framework of Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO at the meeting. The commitment to continue providing technical and advisory support in this process was expressed by European side.
The new Indicative EU Partnership Program with Uzbekistan for 2021-2024 was discussed by the parties. Supplementary 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 were proposed.
An agreement to continue cooperation within the framework of the discussed initiatives and organize bilateral events at various levels in the near future was reached by the sides following the meeting.
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