President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the delegation of the European Union headed by EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piegalbs at Oqsaroy residence on 15 November.

Welcoming the guests, the head of the state expressed satisfaction with the current state and level of development of relations between Uzbekistan and the EU.

“Today, we are witnesses of the dynamic growth of our relations with the European Union,” President Islam Karimov said. He added that the present realities require creation of conditions for a constructive and mutually beneficial bilateral dialogue.

In his turn, the EU Commissioner for Development expressed sincere gratitude to the President of Uzbekistan for the warm reception and emphasized that the United Europe had a great interest in expansion of political and trade-economic partnership with Uzbekistan.

“The path Uzbekistan has passed over 20 years and the country’s achievements, including stable growth of economy during the crisis, are remarkable,” Andris Piegalbs said. “I have read your Friday report and fully agree with you that democracy is stability. It is always in the process of development. There are no universal recipes.”

“Using this opportunity, I would like to thank you for your wisdom demonstrated in regards to the known events on the south of Kyrgyzstan, as well as efforts in socioeconomic revival of Afghanistan,” the EU official added.

The cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EU has been developing in many areas in the framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed in 1996. In accordance with the PCA, several Uzbekistan-EU joint bodies are functioning. Among them are the Cooperation Council, the Cooperation Committee, the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, the Subcommittee for Trade and Investments, and the Subcommittee for Justice, Home Affairs, Human Rights and Related Issues. Projects in the field of scientific and technical cooperation, education, culture and environment are also being jointly developed.

Uzbekistan and the European Union attach great importance to the development of trade and economic cooperation in various areas, which is proved by the growing mutual trade, as well as the increasing number of companies with European capital operating in Uzbekistan. The EU business community also has been showing an active interest in the investment potential of the Navoi free industrial and economic zone in Uzbekistan.

At the talks in Oqsaroy, President Islam Karimov and Andris Piegalbs considered perspectives of bilateral cooperation and other issues of mutual interest.

UzA.uz