The European Union’s (EU) policy toward Central Asia has entered a distinct transformation process in recent years in terms of both content and method. At the center of this transformation lie the increasing geopolitical importance of the region, the intensification of global power competition, and the EU’s efforts to strengthen its own strategic autonomy. In this context, Uzbekistan has become an increasingly visible and effective actor in the EU’s Central Asia opening. In particular, the reformist and multi-vector foreign policy approach adopted by the Tashkent administration in the post-2016 period has made the deepening of relations with the EU possible, elevating Uzbekistan to the position of a key partner not only in terms of bilateral relations but also at the regional level.
Multiple factors are effective in the increase of the EU’s interest in Central Asia. Energy security, the diversification of supply chains, access to critical raw materials, China’s increasing economic influence, and the regaining of importance of the Eurasian geography following the Russia-Ukraine War stand out among these factors. Although Central Asia had long been evaluated as a secondary region in EU foreign policy, this approach began to change with the EU’s Central Asia Strategy adopted in 2019. This strategy aimed to establish more comprehensive and long-term relations with regional countries on the axis of resilience, prosperity, and regional cooperation. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, has stood out as the most convenient partner in terms of practicality and politics in the implementation of this strategy.
At the basis of the importance Uzbekistan carries for the EU lie the country’s demographic, economic, and political characteristics. With a population of approximately 36 million, Uzbekistan is the most populous country in Central Asia and simultaneously possesses one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. Reforms directed toward the gradual reduction of state control, the encouragement of foreign investments, and the liberalization of the trade regime have created an attractive environment for EU capital and companies. This situation allows the EU to expand its economic engagement toward the region through Uzbekistan.
One of the most concrete developments explaining this context is the “Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement” signed in Brussels on October 24, 2025. This document aims to establish a ground for in-depth cooperation in the fields of political dialogue, trade, investment, sustainable development, intellectual property, digital transformation, and the environment by expanding the scope of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement dated 1996 between the European Union and Uzbekistan. The agreement was signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in the presence of a delegation accompanying the President of Uzbekistan, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This has been a clear indication that relations are now maintained with a higher level of political determination. [1]
In the background of this initiative lies a concrete implementation of the EU’s new strategic vision for Central Asia: A multi-layered partnership model ranging from regional connections to global economic networks. This agreement is designed to include cooperation in critical strategic areas in addition to expanding trade and investment volume. The trade volume between Uzbekistan and the EU reached approximately 4.8 billion euros as of 2024, nearly doubling in the last five years. Thus, the EU has become Uzbekistan’s third-largest trading partner. These data reveal that economic integration is increasingly rising. [2]
This signing ceremony can be read as a wide-ranging strategic step redefining the nature of relations between the EU and Central Asian countries. The text of the agreement, unlike previous framework documents, gathers the fields of trade, political dialogue, investment, and sustainable development under a single roof. This reveals the quality that expands the scope of the EU’s Central Asia opening. The cooperations envisaged, particularly in areas such as critical raw materials, digitalization, and ecological transformation, extend economic relations beyond classical trade boundaries to strategic technological fields. In this aspect, the agreement indicates that the EU targets a partnership not only at an economic level but also at a structural and normative level.
The EU’s Central Asia opening was also expressed at the summit held in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on April 4, 2025. In this meeting held with the leaders of Central Asian countries, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa made comprehensive commitments regarding the development of strategic partnerships.[3] One of the most important issues on the agenda at this summit was the investment support of approximately 12 billion euros planned to be provided to the region within the framework of the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative.[4] This support is designed to concentrate on four fundamental areas such as transport infrastructure, renewable energy, digitalization, and critical raw materials, and aims to strengthen the region’s economic infrastructure. In the background of this policy lie the reshaping of power balances in Eurasia and the EU’s need to establish multi-faceted cooperations with regional countries.
In this context, Uzbekistan’s role can be defined not only as an interlocutor but also as an actor directing regional cooperation. The will to act together in the region was emphasized at the Samarkand Summit; the President of Uzbekistan, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, stated that these relations were unthinkable until a few years ago and expressed that the partnerships have opened a new era.[5] This statement is not merely a diplomatic element of rhetoric but also reflects the transformation in Uzbekistan’s own foreign policy orientation. The establishment of wide-ranging economic and political cooperations shows that the strategic interests of both the EU and Uzbekistan overlap.
This process indicates that Uzbekistan has also acquired a central position in the EU’s Central Asia opening. Economic indicators reveal that the direction of trade in this geography has expanded toward Western markets. As of 2024, the EU constituted a significant portion of Uzbekistan’s trade; approximately 7.2% of Uzbek goods were exported to EU countries. This situation indicates that the EU is the second-largest export market for Uzbekistan. These developments reveal Uzbekistan’s potential to strengthen regional connectivity networks while simultaneously deepening its economic ties with the West.
The content of this opening by the EU is not limited solely to the economic field but also includes areas of normative influence. For instance, sustainable development policies, the raising of environmental standards, and the encouragement of joint projects in the field of digitalization appear as mechanisms carrying the EU’s normative power to the region.[6] The cooperations planned in strategic areas such as the processing of critical raw materials may not only provide economic benefit but also trigger the modernization of regional production capacities in the long term. In this aspect, the EU’s strategic approach offers a holistic model associating economic ties with technological and structural transformation. This model overlaps with Uzbekistan’s economic development goals.
This new position of Uzbekistan follows a line consistent with the flexible and multi-vector nature of its foreign policy. The country has adopted the goal of establishing a balanced partnership with the West while maintaining its relations with strong neighbors such as Russia and China. The success of this balance policy increases Uzbekistan’s capacity to maximize its own national interests. This situation creates significant potential not only limited to economic benefits but also for general stability and prosperity in the region.
Consequently, the rising role of Uzbekistan within the context of the EU’s Central Asia opening can be read as a concrete indicator of the reshaping of regional dynamics. The new partnership agreement signed in Brussels and the strategic declarations at the Samarkand Summit are two important milestones of this transformation. Uzbekistan is becoming an indispensable partner for the EU at both economic and political levels. This partnership represents not only a bridge between the region and Europe but also a normative approach that will constitute the basis of long-term strategic relations.
[1] “EU and Uzbekistan deepen ties with new partnership agreement signed in Brussels”, Euronews, https://www.euronews.com/2025/10/24/eu-and-uzbekistan-deepen-ties-with-new-partnership-agreement-signed-in-brussels, (Access Date: 19.01.2026).
[2] Aynı yer.
[3] “AB’den Orta Asya açılımı”, DW, https://www.dw.com/tr/abden-orta-asya-a%C3%A7%C4%B1l%C4%B1m%C4%B1/a-72146093, (Access Date: 19.01.2026).
[4] Adkhamjon Janobiddinov, “Uzbekistan–EU Relations Enter a New Era with the Signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement”, Special Eurasia,
https://www.specialeurasia.com/2025/10/23/uzbekistan-eu-epca/, (Access Date: 19.01.2026).
[5] Aynı yer.
[6] “A new chapter in Uzbekistan–EU relations: Why the EPCA matters”, Eureporter, https://www.eureporter.co/world/uzbekistan/2025/10/28/a-new-chapter-in-uzbekistan-eu-relations-why-the-epca-matters/, (Access Date: 19.01.2026).
