France was one of the first countries to recognize Uzbekistan’s independence on January 3, 1992. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were officially established on March 1, 1992. Later that year, in June, France opened its embassy in Uzbekistan, followed by the opening of the Uzbekistan Embassy in France in March 1995.
It is worth noting that since 2016, bilateral relations have entered a new phase. In particular, the official visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to France on October 8-9, 2018, marked the beginning of a new era in diplomatic ties, The Caspian Post reports citing UzA.
Ten intergovernmental and interagency agreements were signed during the high-level negotiations in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron highly praised the large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan and emphasized the shared approaches of both countries on international and regional issues. He also noted that Uzbekistan’s open and neighborly foreign policy contributes to the stability of Central Asia.
Uzbekistan - France: 2016+
High-level dialogue between Uzbekistan and France has intensified in recent years. On November 21-22, 2022, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid another official visit to France. During his meeting with the President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, discussions focused on strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
In Paris, the Leader of Uzbekistan also held negotiations with the heads of France’s leading companies and financial institutions. The parties agreed to support trade and economic projects, accelerate the implementation of roadmaps, and promote new joint initiatives. As a result, 14 agreements aimed at expanding bilateral relations were signed. Notably, an agreement on a strategic partnership was concluded with the French Development Agency to implement a cooperation program for 2023-2025. A cooperation program between the foreign ministries for 2023-2024 was adopted, along with agreements on trade, economic, investment, and financial projects exceeding €6 billion in total value.
Regular political consultations have been established between the foreign ministries of both countries, and Uzbekistan - France friendship groups are actively operating in their respective parliaments. The two nations also maintain close cooperation within the frameworks of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the European Union (EU). France supports Uzbekistan’s policy of openness and its efforts to foster close relations with neighboring countries within the international community.
Trade, Economic, and Investment Cooperation
France is one of Uzbekistan’s key trade and economic partners within the European Union. By the late 2010s, annual trade turnover between the two countries averaged around €200 million, primarily driven by large-scale contracts. In recent years, economic relations have been steadily strengthening, with an increase in trade volume and investment flows.
Between 2017 and 2022, bilateral trade reached $342.4 million. The pace accelerated further in 2024, reaching $689.8 million, marking a 33.3% increase compared to 2023.
In the first quarter of last year, bilateral trade amounted to $337.1 million, 63% higher than in 2023. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s exports to France between January and July 2024 totaled $480.3 million, twice as much as the previous year.
Fifty companies operate in Uzbekistan with the French capital, including 17 wholly foreign-owned enterprises. The total value of joint projects exceeds €5 billion. Major French companies, such as Veolia, Suez, EDF, Total Eren, Voltalia, Orano, and Airbus, maintain stable operations in the country.
These companies are implementing large-scale projects in geological exploration, energy, construction materials production, the automotive industry, public utilities, and tourism. In Samarkand region, a solar power plant was successfully launched with the support of Total Eren. In Navoi region, Orano is actively engaged in uranium extraction projects. Meanwhile, in Syrdarya region, EDF is constructing a 1,600 MW modern thermal power plant. Additionally, in Tashkent and Surkhandarya, Suez is leading the modernization of the drinking water supply system. At the same time, Veolia has been selected as a long-term partner to develop Tashkent’s heating infrastructure. These reforms significantly contribute to the rapid growth of trade relations between Uzbekistan and France.
Over the past seven years, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and France has increased nearly fivefold, reaching $1.13 billion. At the same time, the number of French enterprises operating in Uzbekistan has grown almost fourfold. These figures highlight the strengthening of bilateral relations and the promising prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation.
The joint business forum held in Tashkent in April 2023 was a significant indicator of this growing partnership. The event, organized in collaboration with MEDEF International - the French Business Confederation - brought together representatives from over 35 French companies and banks. New investment projects were discussed during the forum, and agreements were reached to expand bilateral cooperation.
Uzbekistan’s partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD) continues to develop steadily. In 2018, an AFD representative office was opened in Tashkent, and a €1 billion program was signed to finance infrastructure projects.
On November 21, 2022, the Government of Uzbekistan and AFD signed a strategic cooperation program worth over €1 billion, set to be implemented until 2025. This agreement includes specific projects in agriculture, energy, the green economy, urban development, water supply, banking, finance, and transportation.
Additionally, under the EU - Uzbekistan Partnership Agreement, the Most Favored Nation (MFN) trade regime has been established with France, further facilitating the growth of bilateral trade.
Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation and Educational Exchanges
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation is integral to relations between Uzbekistan and France. This area is characterized by mutual interest and active engagement. Many cultural, arts, education, and science projects have been successfully implemented in recent years, further strengthening bilateral ties.
On November 22, 2022, Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Emmanuel Macron officially inaugurated the “The Splendor of Uzbekistan's Oases: At the Crossroads of the Caravan Routes” exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris. This grand exhibition, dedicated to Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage, was meticulously prepared over several years. As part of the preparations, joint Uzbek-French archaeological expeditions led to the discovery of several rare artifacts. Experts from both countries also collaborated on the restoration of historical artifacts. The exhibition featured 138 unique pieces from 16 museums in Uzbekistan, including 70 specially restored exhibits and 31 artifacts from museums in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Simultaneously, the “The Road to Samarkand. Wonders of Silk and Gold” exhibition was launched at the Arab World Institute in Paris, where it was displayed for over three months. These events gave the French public and international visitors a deeper insight into Uzbekistan’s unique historical and cultural legacy. France has traditionally shown a keen interest in Uzbek history and culture. Notable examples include the Association for the Study of the Art and History of the Temurids, established in Paris in 1988, and the Avicenna-France Society, which continue to foster cultural and academic exchanges. Additionally, sister-city relations have been established between Samarkand and Lyon, Bukhara and Rueil-Malmaison. The Bukhara - Rueil-Malmaison partnership was founded in 1999, and in 2019, an Uzbekistan Garden was inaugurated in the central park of Rueil-Malmaison, near Paris. Within the garden, statues of Avicenna (Abu Ali ibn Sina) and Mirzo Ulugbek were installed, symbolizing the deep-rooted historical ties between the two nations. Such cultural exchange projects continue to strengthen the friendship and understanding between the peoples of Uzbekistan and France.
Currently, around 3,000 French language teachers are working in Uzbekistan. Approximately 200,000 students at schools and universities are learning French. The language is taught in nearly 700 general education schools and six specialized boarding schools. Additionally, 13 universities have French philology or Romance languages faculties.
A notable milestone in educational cooperation was naming Samarkand’s Specialized School No. 43 in 2019 in honor of Lucien Keran, a French researcher and founder of the Association for the Study of the Art and History of the Temurids. This decision symbolizes the growing academic ties between the two countries. Moreover, in Tashkent, the French Language and Culture Center - Alliance Française has been actively operating since 2015, providing Uzbekistan youth with valuable opportunities to study the French language and culture.
In Tashkent, the French International School offers education based on French and Uzbek curricula. Additionally, Uzbekistan’s Association of French Language Teachers operates within the International Federation of French Teachers, facilitating teacher training and experience exchange programs.
Joint educational programs have been established in various fields, including tourism, archaeology, design and fashion, energy, and political science. In recent years, Uzbekistan has strengthened direct partnerships with several prestigious French universities, including Paris-Sud University, Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris II Panthéon-Assas, Paris IV Sorbonne, Grenoble Alpes University, Nice Sophia Antipolis University, Southern Brittany University, National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO), University of Toulouse, Toulouse Institute of Political Studies, National School of Architecture of Versailles. Furthermore, an exchange program for professional training has been established between Uzbekistan’s Prosecutor General’s Academy and France’s National School for the Judiciary (ENM).
Significant steps have been taken to open branches of leading French universities in Uzbekistan. During high-level meetings in Paris in October 2018, agreements were reached to establish branches of the University of Strasbourg and Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Tashkent. In 2019, a joint faculty was established at the Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry in collaboration with the Paris International Fashion Academy. A branch of France’s Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, specializing in hospitality and tourism management, began operations at Bukhara State University. Since the 2021/2022 academic year, a specialized faculty for civil aviation pilots has been operating at Tashkent Transport University in cooperation with France’s National School of Civil Aviation (ENAC).
Additionally, discussions have been held with the Embassy of France and Uzbekistan authorities regarding creating an Uzbekistan - France University. Work is underway to establish an Uzbekistan - France Multidisciplinary University in Tashkent with the participation of a consortium of French higher education institutions. These initiatives will provide the younger generation with opportunities to receive education that meets international standards while strengthening bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and France.
Uzbekistan and France are progressing significantly in cultural heritage preservation and archaeological research. French specialists actively participate in projects to restore and study historical monuments in Uzbekistan. One of the key achievements in this area was reinstalling the Afrasiab wall paintings at the Afrasiab Museum in Samarkand after being displayed at the Louvre Museum. Uzbekistan’s Cultural Heritage Agency reported this. Additionally, several joint archaeological expeditions have led to the discovery of historically significant artifacts, many showcased at the Louvre exhibition mentioned earlier.
Collaboration in cinema and the arts is also expanding. In May 2018, during the 71st Cannes Film Festival, Uzbekistan opened its first national pavilion, presenting the country’s film industry achievements to international cinema professionals. In 2019, at the Marché du Film (Cannes Film Market), Uzbekistan’s pavilion was again featured, providing a platform to showcase projects by young Uzbekistan filmmakers. Today, the National Film Commission has established a regular presence at the Cannes Film Festival, further enriching cultural ties between Uzbekistan and France.
France is one of Uzbekistan’s leading tourism markets in Europe. French travelers are among the most active Western visitors to Central Asia. In 2019, Uzbekistan facilitated the filming of a special documentary on the country’s tourism potential for the renowned French travel program “Échappées Belles”. The film aired on France 5 in 2020, attracting 1.3 million viewers - one of the highest ratings in the program’s history. Hosted by journalist Sophie Jovillard, the documentary received positive reviews in the French media, further increasing interest in Uzbekistan as a travel destination. Another milestone in tourism promotion was the appointment of renowned actor Gérard Depardieu as Uzbekistan’s Tourism Ambassador to France in 2019. Through his film “My Uzbek Dreams”, he helped showcase Uzbekistan’s rich tourism potential to a broader international audience. These cultural and tourism initiatives have steadily increased the number of French visitors to Uzbekistan.
Conclusion
As a result of comprehensive reforms and active foreign policy, relations between Uzbekistan and France have been developing rapidly in recent years. Significant achievements have been made in political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, cultural and humanitarian exchanges, and education. The two countries continue to dialogue consistently based on mutual trust and shared interests. The official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Uzbekistan in the fall of 2023 marked a new phase in bilateral relations, laying the foundation for partnership expansion in new areas. Implementing strategic agreements and joint programs will strengthen cooperation between Uzbekistan and France, elevating it to a higher level and bringing new benefits to both nations.
