During the meeting with the Speaker of Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Dilorom Tashmuhamedova, it was noted that the relations between Uzbekistan and European Union are developing gradually in all spheres, including in parliamentarism and interest of the sides in strengthening of cooperation in this direction.

The sides exchanged opinion on interaction of legislative body of Uzbekistan and European Parliament during talks.

The sides underlined existence of opportunity for lifting inter-parliamentary relations to new level and agreed to boost cooperation in this direction.

Within the visit, the Legislative Chamber hosted the eighth session of the Committee on parliamentary cooperation “Uzbekistan – European Union”.

Along with the delegation of European Parliament, members of Senate and Legislative Chamber, representatives of ministries and departments of Uzbekistan, diplomatic missions, accredited in Uzbekistan and other participated at the event.

The committee considered current affairs and perspectives of partnership between Uzbekistan and European Union, including in financial-economic, humanitarian and legal character, as well as international issues.

Paolo Bartolozzi said: “Today relations between the European Union are developing dynamically based on constructive dialogue. Current session provided opportunity for exchange of opinion on trade-economic relations, cooperation in energy, illegal drug turnover.”

The session noted that thanks to timely developed Anti-crisis programme Uzbekistan almost did not suffered from global economic crisis. It was noted that Uzbekistan achieves high economic figures and attracts foreign capital and creates new jobs due to wide-scale work on stable development of economy.

Participants underlined significant results of gradual reforms in Uzbekistan directed at improving activity of civil society and ensuring human rights.

MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute (Lithuania) said it is necessary to keep current dynamic of development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and European Parliament. She said that it is important to exchange experience in social-legal and economic spheres. European Union promotes idea on recpecting human rights in all countries of the world and the delegation paid great attention to this issue during visit, MEP said. She added that Uzbekistan carried out significant work in this area.

During the visit, the delegation of European Parliament held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

During the talks, it was underlined that Uzbekistan has been paying attention to developing constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with the European states. It was said that Uzbekistan was one of the first countries of Central Asia, which signed agreement on partnership and cooperation with the European Union in Florence in 1996. Since that time, the sides gained significant experience of cooperation in all spheres.

The Uzbek side noted that Uzbekistan always adhered to its own development strategy, based on construction of democratic state with socially oriented market economy.

The Uzbek side also expressed interest in studying experience of democratic development in European states. The Uzbek side expressed interest in receiving information on regulating issues related to use of trans-boundary rivers in Europe.

The European delegation also received information about position of Uzbekistan on events in Kyrgyz Republic. The head of delegation underlined that the European Union highly rates that Uzbekistan did not interfere to conflict in southern Kyrgyzstan in June and accepted over 100,000 refugees from this country and provided humanitarian aid. He added that Uzbekistan demonstrated that it is natural leader in Central Asia.

Paolo Bartolozzi said that the European Parliament adopted resolution after Kyrgyz events and called to hold independent international investigation of the events.

The Uzbek side also briefed the EU delegation on its vision on settlement of Afghan problem. In particular, the MEPs received detailed information on initiative of Uzbekistan on creation “6+3” contact group on Afghanistan.

Bartolozzi underlined that the delegation fully supports opinion of Uzbekistan that Afghan problem cannot be solved with military and the situation should settled with political means.

The delegation also noted that Uzbekistan and the EU has great potential for developing cooperation in energy sphere, trade-economic relations, security, fair water use and other areas of mutual interest.

During the visit to Tashkent, the delegation also met the Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsman) of Parliament Sayyor Rashidova.