Uzbekistan, EU Plan To Sign Enhanced Partnership And Cooperation Agreement

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 28. Uzbekistan and the European Union plan to sign the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) this year, President of the European Council Antonio Costa wrote on X, Trend reports.

"I anticipate welcoming President Mirzizoyev in Brussels later this year for the signing of the EU-UZ Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement," he wrote.

Antonio Costa also thanked President Mirzizoyev for hosting the upcoming EU-Central Asia Summit in Uzbekistan. This landmark event, the first-ever EU summit with the region, represents a significant opportunity to strengthen ties and explore new avenues of cooperation.

Uzbekistan's Samarkand region will host the Central Asia-EU Summit this year. It will explore possibilities for increased cooperation between the EU and Central Asia on digital, transport, and energy connectivity, as well as building a stronger partnership.

To note, the ties between the European Union and the Republic of Uzbekistan have been progressively evolving since its independence in 1991. The European Union's relations with Uzbekistan are integrated within the periodically assessed EU and Central Asia Strategy for a New Partnership, which delineates the overarching cooperation goals, policy measures, and priority areas for the EU's involvement in Central Asia.

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the EU and the Republic of Uzbekistan, effective since 1999, established a foundation for an expanded bilateral engagement. The PCA encompasses political dialogue, trade in goods, business and investment, protection of intellectual, industrial, and commercial property, legislative cooperation, economic collaboration, cooperation regarding democracy and human rights, prevention of illegal activities, cultural cooperation, and financial collaboration in technical assistance.

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