BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1
By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend:
Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom have signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in Tashkent, which will ensure the continuity of bilateral relations if the UK stops participating in the PCA between Uzbekistan and the European Union due to the country's withdrawal from the EU (no-deal Brexit), Trend reports with reference to the press service of the British Embassy in Uzbekistan.
The document was signed by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov and the British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Tim Torlot.
The agreement for entry into force is subject to parliamentary procedures in both Uzbekistan and the UK. Uzbekistan became the first country in Central Asia with which the United Kingdom signed a similar agreement.
The document duplicates the provisions of the current PCA between Uzbekistan and the EU, and provides for broad cooperation in the fields of international relations, trade and investment, sustainable development, environmental protection and energy, as well as respect for human rights and public administration.
“The agreement fully repeats the important aspects in the field of human rights, the rule of law and democracy, which are the main criteria of the agreement,” the embassy noted.
Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom established diplomatic relations 27 years ago. The past quarter century has demonstrated the firm disposition of the two states to continue the progressive strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas.
The United Kingdom was one of the first to recognize the sovereignty of Uzbekistan.
The symbol of continuity in the development of bilateral relations was the visit of British Deputy Foreign Secretary Alan Duncan to Uzbekistan in December 2016, during which he was received by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. A thorough exchange of views took place at the meeting over the entire spectrum of Uzbek-British cooperation.
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