Uzbekistan hosted the first events of the European Economic Days, organized in cooperation with the Europe-Uzbekistan Association for Economic Cooperation (EUROUZ) and several other organizations.

At the beginning, a message from the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was read out. In his address, the Head of state emphasized that this event, being held for the first time, would significantly contribute to strengthening trade, economic, investment, and cooperative ties with Europe and help enhance the potential for collaboration between countries.

In her video address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted Uzbekistan’s growing role in global trade and investments, its strategic and geopolitical significance, and its great potential. She expressed readiness to expand cooperation in areas such as information technology, extraction and processing of natural resources, and transportation infrastructure development. This will open opportunities for creating new enterprises, jobs and the joint development of transport and logistics routes.

At the opening of the event, Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade Laziz Kudratov, European Union Ambassador to Uzbekistan Toivo Klaar, and other speakers emphasized that such mutually beneficial and friendly relations create new opportunities, strengthen partnerships and contribute to the expansion of economic cooperation.

As noted, steps are being taken in Uzbekistan to improve the investment and business climate, increase trade volumes, develop cross-border transport routes, and introduce new business ideas in electrical engineering, agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Joint projects between Uzbekistan and the European Union, totaling over $30 billion, also contribute to expanding the scale of this work.

“We are very pleased to provide a platform for effective communication and the development of cooperation. The European Economic Days in Uzbekistan are held in an open discussion format. Over two days, participants will be able to participate in more than 15 panel sessions, discussions, and roundtables to address issues that need to be resolved to enhance economic cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan. Most importantly, this meeting will help find the shortest path to strengthening economic cooperation”, said Oybek Shaykhov, Secretary-General of the Europe-Uzbekistan Association for Economic Cooperation.

CEO of SUEZ, Paul Bourdillon, also noted that he was pleased to participate in this prestigious event.

“Today, water and wastewater management is an important issue”, he said. “These efforts are not only carried out in large cities but also regions. Long-term solutions need to be developed for this. We are proud to be involved in these processes. We see population growth and economic growth in Uzbekistan. Additionally, there are issues related to climate change. Water management is essential for public health, agriculture, and food security. These issues affect strategic sectors in Uzbekistan. We also see clearly defined government priorities for the future. We are working with our Uzbek partners to enhance water management capacity. We are also implementing joint management projects covering Tashkent and its surrounding areas. The event being held will help continue our work”.

Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA