Press Secretary of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sherzod Asadov held a press briefing for mass media representatives on the events of the “Central Asia – European Union” summit in Samarkand:

“We are pleased to host the first-ever “Central Asia – European Union” summit in history, held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with the participation of the leaders of the European Union and our region. Hosting such a large and important international event makes us very proud.

It is symbolic that this historic event is taking place in the city of Samarkand, one of the most ancient centers of world civilization. 

For centuries, this majestic city of the Great Silk Road served as a bridge between East and West, a center of education, science, and trade that not only promoted the development of international relations, but also left a major mark in history. 

The fact that the leaders of our region and the European Union are gathering in Samarkand today to discuss issues of trade and economic cooperation comprehensively suggests that Samarkand is restoring its position as a political and trade center.

The fact that cooperation between Uzbekistan and the European Union is strengthening, and a common aspiration to further expand it has been formed, is undoubtedly the merit of our esteemed President – his wise and visionary foreign policy.

Among the main achievements: trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the European Union has exceeded 6 billion euros (doubled from 2020), exports of Uzbek products have grown 4 times compared to 2020, and the number of joint ventures exceeds 1 thousand. Leading European companies are implementing a range of major cooperation projects in the fields of green energy, infrastructure, light industry, and processing of critical raw materials. 

The summit, which began today, will set new milestones and ambitious goals for many years to come. Speaking of which, I would like to emphasize that the dynamics, current agenda, and prospects of relations between Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, and the European Union were analyzed in detail by the Head of State in an exclusive interview with Euronews.

In this sense, the summit will be a significant milestone in our relations. There is no doubt that the results of the Samarkand meeting will open up new prospects for the further development of our partnership.

I would like to go through the events that took place on the first day of the summit, with all delegations gathering in Samarkand.

Yesterday, the President of the European Council António Costa, today, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov arrived in our country.

The President held separate meetings with the leaders of the European Union, António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, and then they held joint negotiations.

The issues of further developing and strengthening multifaceted cooperation between Uzbekistan and the European Union, primarily in the trade, economic, and investment spheres, were reviewed in detail.

The heads of the main EU institutions highly appreciated the economic reform program being implemented to develop New Uzbekistan, as well as the policy of strengthening good neighborliness, trust, and partnership in Central Asia and expressed their strong support.

The parties agreed to promote joint programs and cooperation projects in the fields of innovation, green energy, mining, agriculture, transportation, logistics, digitalization, and other relevant areas.

As a symbol of the growing friendship and multifaceted partnership between us, the President and the leaders of the European Union planted a tree together.

The summit also includes a business program, as part of which our President met with Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 

Additionally, within the framework of the Uzbek-EU negotiations, an agreement was signed to establish a regional office of the European Investment Bank. The opening of a representative office of this prestigious financial institution in Tashkent will be an important step towards transforming our country into an international financial hub.

The Head of our state held bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to discuss topical issues of the bilateral agenda and tomorrow’s summit.

The main events of the summit will take place tomorrow. This is a meeting of the leaders of the Central Asian states and the leaders of the European Union. A wide range of issues, including strengthening economic cooperation, transport interconnections, sustainable development and ecology, and humanitarian cooperation, will be discussed. 

Ultimately, the most significant outcome of the summit is expected to be the adoption of the Samarkand Declaration, which will provide a strong impetus for the expansion of constructive dialogue between Central Asia and the European Union, intensifying cooperation in all areas and elevating relations to the level of a strategic partnership.

Then, the heads of delegations will participate in the plenary session of the Samarkand Climate Forum. The main focus will be on combating environmental threats and strengthening international cooperation in this area.

Within the framework of these events, the President will hold several bilateral meetings. You will hear more about all this tomorrow”.