TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 24. A signing ceremony for the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Uzbekistan and the European Union took place in Brussels on October 24 in the presence of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Trend reports.
The new agreement updates and significantly expands the legal framework for Uzbekistan–EU relations, which had previously been governed by the 1996 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
Negotiations on the new document began in February 2019 and were concluded in July 2022, with the agreement initialed in Brussels on July 6, 2022.
Comprising nine sections, 356 articles, and 14 annexes, the agreement covers nearly all areas of bilateral cooperation and establishes a comprehensive legal foundation for strengthening political dialogue and deepening collaboration in key fields. These include trade and investment, sustainable development, science and education, innovation and high technology, as well as environmental protection and climate change.
The signing marks the beginning of a new chapter in Uzbekistan–EU relations, elevating their partnership to an unprecedented level of cooperation.