Fifth session of Uzbekistan-European Union Cooperation Committee, main executive body in implementation of provisions of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the sides, was held in Brussels, Belgium

Fifth session of Uzbekistan-European Union Cooperation Committee, main executive body in implementation of provisions of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the sides, was held in Brussels, Belgium. Delegation of Uzbekistan headed by Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Agency for Foreign Economic Relations Elyor Ganiev took part in the session. The European side was headed by Director for Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia of the Directorate General of the European Commission Hugues Mingarelli. The session addressed issues of further expansion of trade, economic, investment and scientific-technical cooperation, technical assistance, development of regional integration, as well as cooperation in political sphere, fight against terrorism, illegal drug trafficking and organised crime. “In the course of the meeting, we discussed a wide range of issues on implementation of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EU. European Union sees Uzbekistan as an important strategic partner in Central Asia, and intends to continue fruitful cooperation with this country in all directions,” Mingarelli told Jahon news agency. “We support initiatives of President Islam Karimov on strengthening regional cooperation, in particular, establishment of Central Asian single market, and are ready to provide consulting assistance on this issue, using the experience of the European integration,” he said. The European Union envisages further development of the programme of external assistance provided to countries of Central Asia in the framework of the new Article of the European Union for the period 2007-2013. This will provide for intensification of the EU’s activity in the region, increase of bilateral trade and investments, joining by the regional countries the WTO and expansion of economic cooperation.