Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 14-15 July 2022 Mr. Luc Devigne, Deputy Managing Director for Eastern Partnership, Russia and Central Asia at the European External Action Service led a delegation in Tashkent to prepare the EU Central Asia Conference for sustainable connectivity and the EU Central Asia Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Samarkand on 17-18 November 2022. 

The EU Central Asia Samarkand Conference for sustainable connectivity will be the first regional conference on Connectivity since the EU new Global Gateway Strategy which was adopted on 1st December 2021. It will provide a platform for intra- and inter-regional dialogue on shared concepts that will help translate the goals of resilience, prosperity and regional cooperation, set out in the EU Strategy on Central Asia (2019), into action. It will be part of EU efforts to help the countries of Central Asia modernise, boost investment, digitalise, facilitate intra-regional trade and diversify their transport and trade routes. 

The annual EU Central Asia Ministerial Meeting will gather the Foreign Ministers from the five Central Asian States and the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell as well as EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, to discuss the EU Central Asia cooperation. 

During the visit, Mr Luc Devigne met with Deputy Ministers of Information technologies and communication, Foreign Affairs, Investment and Foreign Trade, Transport, and Deputy Minister of Innovative Development.

European Union established relations with Uzbekistan since the country’s independence in 1991. The EU provides financial assistance to Uzbekistan, primarily for promoting economic development; effective governance; digital transformation; digital and green growth; development of sustainable agriculture and food sector.