The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov led a high-level delegation at the Uzbekistan – UK Business Forum in London on July 24, 2023.

The Uzbekistan delegation arrived in London for bilateral consultations with British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly and members of parliament.

After the official meetings, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in London organized a forum at the Institute of Directors. Over 180 executives from leading UK and international companies and banks attended the event, which included speeches, presentations, and an informal reception.

Mr. Saidov and Amanda Brooks, Director General for Trade Negotiations at the UK Department of Business and Trade, addressed the forum.

Bakhtiyor Saidov appreciated the growing economic relations between Uzbekistan and UK and noted the significant potential for developing financial, industrial, and technological partnerships between Uzbekistan and British companies.

British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs noted that in 2021 Uzbekistan became the first country admitted to the UK’s Extended Scheme of Generalised System of Preferences. This means that British importers do not pay import duty on more than 7,800 goods produced in Uzbekistan.

The trade turnover between the UK and Uzbekistan has tripled (since 2016), reaching £245 million in 2022.

British and Uzbekistan companies signed several agreements related to new joint ventures and investments as part of the forum.

UzA