We, the Representatives of the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the occasion of the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) on 24 October 2025, declare:
We celebrate the EPCA as a landmark framework document advancing our strategic partnership, building on years of dialogue that have fostered trust and progress in bilateral relations. This agreement strengthens dialogue, trade diversification, and sustainable development, fostering prosperity, stability, and regional integration for the benefit of our citizens.
Committed to the EU-Central Asia Summit Declaration adopted on April 4, 2025, we reiterate our full respect to international law, including the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of respect of the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all States within their internationally recognized borders, including relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and to abstain from acts that may be interpreted as granting any legal status under international law. These principles guide our cooperation in international and regional fora, promoting peace, mutual respect and multilateralism, while addressing global challenges together.
We also highly appreciate the decision to elevate relations between the two regions to the level of a strategic partnership, as well as other agreements reached by participating leaders during the Summit, including the holding of the Central Asian- EU Economic Forum and the Trans Caspian Transport Corridor and Connectivity Investors Forum in Tashkent in 2025.
We highly value the format of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, which plays an important role in strengthening regional consolidation, expanding cooperation, and enhancing the region’s connectivity with the European Union.
The EPCA opens new horizons for collaboration in cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, border security, and preventing hybrid threats. We also commit to deepening ties on digital and sustainable transport connectivity under the Global Gateway strategy and on critical raw materials. The EPCA will facilitate the expansion and diversification of our bilateral trade and investment, driving economic growth. We highlight recent steps by Uzbekistan to enhance labour mobility and recall the ongoing support for economic modernization, innovation, and diversification. The EPCA includes the possibility that the Parties to the EPCA may consider, if conditions allow, the negotiation of an agreement on readmission and an agreement on visa facilitation.
We are united in combating climate change through full implementation of the Paris Agreement, welcoming Uzbekistan’s decision to join the Global Methane Pledge, and advancing innovative water-energy cooperation to protect resources and revitalise the Aral Sea region. These efforts underscore our joint resolve for environmental resilience and sustainable prosperity.
We recognize the ongoing reform agenda as a shared priority, focusing on strengthening rule of law, human rights, and governance, with support for civil society and media development. The EU reaffirms its strong support for these national efforts, alongside progress in labour rights, education, and gender equality. Through the EU-Uzbekistan Civil Society Forum, we will enhance people-to-people contacts, youth exchanges, and cultural dialogues to build resilient societies.
We welcome the finalisation of the EU-Uzbekistan negotiations on market access on services and goods as part of Uzbekistan’s accession process to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This underscores the EU’s political support for the WTO accession and underlying economic reform process of Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan’s and EU’s commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.
Together, we look forward to deepening our partnership, harnessing the EPCA’s full potential to foster innovation, resilience, inclusive growth, and promoting closer regional integration, ensuring a brighter future for our peoples and regions in an interconnected world.
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