Uzbekistan and the European Union are set to formalize their Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in Brussels on October 24.
European Council President António Costa highlighted the upcoming signing in a congratulatory message to Uzbekistan’s President on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.
“I look forward to our meeting in Brussels on October 24, 2025, where we will have the opportunity to continue our discussions on the occasion of the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Uzbekistan,” the European Council president’s message read.
The current agreement between Uzbekistan and the EU was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999. It mainly covers political dialogue, cooperation in democracy and human rights, promotion of cultural ties, financial and technical cooperation, investment, trade in goods and services, as well as rules on intellectual property protection. The agreement is limited in scope, with many provisions requiring clarification through bilateral agreements on specific issues.
In July 2017, Uzbekistan proposed to the EU to conclude a new cooperation agreement. Negotiations began in February 2019, lasted through 10 rounds, and concluded in June 2022. The agreement was initialed in July 2022.
The new agreement covers trade and related matters, including customs administration, technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, competition and the activities of state-owned enterprises, public procurement, and dispute settlement.
In addition, as it incorporates the core rules of the World Trade Organization, the scope of relations in investment partnership, trade in goods and services, and intellectual property will be significantly expanded.
The EPCA will also include new areas such as foreign policy, security, conflict prevention and risk management, personal data protection, asylum and border management, combating illegal migration, organized crime and corruption, as well as counterterrorism.
For reference, Kazakhstan signed an EPCA with the European Union in 2015, and the agreement entered into force in 2020. A similar agreement was concluded with Kyrgyzstan in 2024, but for it to enter into force, it must be ratified by Kyrgyzstan and all EU member states.
It should be recalled that in April 2025, the first “Central Asia - European Union” summit was held in Samarkand, during which a declaration on strategic partnership between the two regions was adopted.
