Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 16 September, a meeting was held in Samarkand between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, with representatives of leading companies and banks from both countries.

The event was attended by Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Michael Harms, Managing Director of the German Eastern Business Association, as well as executives and representatives from companies such as KNAUF, CLAAS, Mangold Consulting, Gunter Papenburg, Siemens Energy, Linde Group, Aurubis, FALK PORSCHE, Metso, Edison Technologies, Ernst Klett, Siemens Healthineers, Herrenknecht, DB Engineering & Consulting, Svevind Energy Group, Rhenus, HMS Bergbau, Textima, and banks like KfW Development Bank, AKA Bank, and others.

The President of Uzbekistan warmly welcomed the participants of the meeting, noting the symbolic significance of holding it in the historic city of Samarkand. He highly praised the results of the previous day’s negotiations, during which key priorities for the development of New Uzbekistan were endorsed, particularly regarding the deep transformation and modernization of the economy.

The main outcomes of the meeting were agreements on developing a comprehensive set of measures to support and accelerate joint investment projects and trade contracts within the framework of the strategic Program for Industrial and Technological Partnership with leading German companies and banks.

Priority areas of mutually beneficial cooperation were identified, including industrial collaboration in the field of "green energy," the chemical industry, the production of "green hydrogen," mechanical engineering, the electrical and textile industries, pharmaceuticals, and other sectors.

Special attention was given to the participation of German companies in the development of critical mineral resource deposits, their deep processing, the production of high value-added products, and their export to Germany and third-country markets.

Key areas discussed also included the modernization of energy, transport, public utilities, and tourism infrastructure, participation in the privatization of industrial and service enterprises, and the implementation of socially significant projects in healthcare, education, and environmental protection.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of fostering close partnerships between German businesses and major Uzbek companies. He underscored the need for the development of new project initiatives and the continuation of joint projects in various fields, such as construction materials production, metallurgy, energy, chemicals, transport infrastructure, agriculture, mechanical engineering, and medicine.

Mirziyoyev noted that the meeting was organized in a new format, with a focus on representatives from the private sector who have become reliable partners of German businesses. In closing, he wished the participants success in implementing their plans.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in turn, highlighted the steady development of relations between the two countries, emphasized the importance of strengthening business contacts, and urged German business circles to actively participate in joint projects and initiatives.