19
May
2026
Watch
EU–Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (joint debate)
Mr President, High Representative, colleagues. From this standpoint, we condemned Uzbekistan for helping Russia evade sanctions. It was also embarrassing to see the face of their president when he visited Moscow on May 9. However, we know the consistent position of Uzbekistan, which supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan sought its place in the new international system. Europe has long built diplomatic and economic ties there, promoting stability in the Central Asian region – a strategic space where reliable partners, energy resilience, a rules-based economy, security and the modernisation of reform are important. The new agreement could open up greater opportunities for European companies to develop beneficial cooperation in the fields of education, energy, climate, science and technology.