BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 1. The next meeting of the EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation Committee established by the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement will take place in Tashkent on December 5, a source at the European Commission told Trend.
“The EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation Committee meeting will be a good occasion to assess our respective energy policy developments and outlooks, as well as to plan the next stages in our energy cooperation,” the source said.
According to the EU official, the European Union and the Republic of Uzbekistan have extensive cooperation under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which includes energy.
"Uzbekistan has a significant potential for deploying renewable energy generation and improving energy efficiency. It was also the first country in the region to join the Global Methane Pledge, which was spearheaded by the EU and the US to limit methane emissions from fossil fuel companies," the source said.
According to the EU source, the EU, its Member States, and Central Asian countries, including the Republic of Uzbekistan, collaborate on a bi-regional level.
“In this context, a Joint Roadmap for Deepening EU-Central Asian Relations was endorsed last month at a meeting of EU and Central Asian Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg. One of the roadmap's important themes is engaging in clean energy, climate action, and connectivity under the EU Global Gateway policy and in alignment with the European Green Deal objectives. Furthermore, the EU and Uzbekistan finished negotiating the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement last year, demonstrating a common desire in deepening relations with Uzbekistan and supporting ongoing reforms in the country,” the source mentioned.
Meanwhile, the European Union has extended Uzbekistan's GSP+ General System of Preferences until December 31, 2027.
As attested by the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, the GSP+ allowed Uzbek exporters to save 28 million euros on import charges in 2022, and this is a significant contribution of the EU to the development of Uzbekistan's private sector, which has risen more than tenfold between 2019 and 2022.