Brussels to Host President Mirziyoyev for Key EU-Uzbekistan Deal

The European Union is preparing to welcome President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Brussels on October 24, where the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) is scheduled to take place.

The announcement came from European Council President António Costa in a congratulatory message marking the 34th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.

“I look forward to meeting you on 24 October 2025 in Brussels, where we will have the opportunity to continue our dialogue on the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Uzbekistan,” Costa said in his message.

He noted that the partnership between Uzbekistan and the EU has reached a new level, “characterized by fruitful and multifaceted cooperation in all sectors.”

In mid-August, President Mirziyoyev stated that Uzbekistan intended to sign the new EPCA in the coming months.

The EPCA will replace the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement that has been in force since 1999. Negotiations began in February 2019. The authorities initially aimed to sign the agreement in 2020, but the timeline was revised due to the pandemic. The document was initialed in July 2022.

The current agreement, in force since 1996, mainly contains provisions on political dialogue, cooperation in democracy, human rights, cultural exchanges, financial and technical assistance, investments, and trade in goods and services.

The new EPCA covers a broader range of issues, including trade and related areas such as customs administration, technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, competition, dispute settlement, and other fields.

It also expands cooperation in investment, trade in goods and services, and intellectual property by incorporating key rules of the World Trade Organization.

The EPCA introduces new areas of cooperation as well, including foreign policy, security, conflict prevention and crisis management, data protection, asylum and border management, combating illegal migration, organized crime and corruption, and counterterrorism.

“The agreement is no longer just a framework but establishes a full-fledged mechanism for comprehensive interaction between Uzbekistan and the EU, including in trade and economic cooperation,” the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade noted in 2022 following the initialing of the document.

The EPCA is expected to support Uzbekistan’s integration into the multilateral trading system, strengthen market economy mechanisms, increase foreign investor confidence, and create new trade opportunities for domestic producers with EU partners.