Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, the EU and Uzbekistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) launching a strategic partnership on critical raw materials (CRMs). This important agreement marks a significant step towards securing a diversified and sustainable supply of CRMs for the green and digital transitions both in the EU and Uzbekistan.

The MoU signed by European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov underscored the partners' shared commitment to enhance cooperation in the field of CRMs.

This strategic partnership focuses on the following areas of cooperation:

i.       Integration of sustainable CRM value chains, including via networking, selection of project proposals, joint development of projects, promotion and facilitation of trade, and investment linkages along the whole value chain;
ii.       Increasing the resilience of CRM supply chains and establishing a dialogue to enhance the transparency of measures related to investments, operations and exports;
iii.      Mobilisation of funding for projects resulting from the Partnership, as well as for the development of infrastructure required for the development of CRM value chains such as, but not limited to, the development of clean energy supply;
iv.     Cooperation to achieve sustainable and responsible production and sourcing of CRMs;
v.       Cooperation on research and innovation, including the sharing of knowledge and technologies related to sustainable exploration, extraction, processing and recycling of CRMs;
vi.      Cooperation on building of capacity to enforce relevant rules, and on developing training and skills.

Following the signature of the MoU, the EU and Uzbekistan will jointly work on the establishment of an operational roadmap with concrete implementation actions.