As part of the celebration of Europe Day, the «EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation Forum» was held, which was preceded by the «Mini-exhibition of EU-funded projects».

The purpose of the events is to recognize and celebrate the success of bilateral cooperation and discuss future prospects.

The exhibition featured 10 development projects implemented with EU support.

Partners represented the organization’s projects, such as the Association of private tourism agencies of Uzbekistan (APTA), the UN, the UNICEF Children’s Fund, the Regional Environmental Center, GIZ, the French Cooperation Agency, the International Commission of Jurists, and others.

The Forum was attended by over 80 guests, from among the heads of international organizations, ministries and departments of Uzbekistan, representatives of civil society, as well as key partners. During the Forum, new trends in agricultural diversification, as well as various aspects of Uzbekistan’s entry into the world market were discussed.

In his welcoming speech, EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Eduards Stiprais said: «Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the EU and Uzbekistan. During these years, our relations went through different stages. And the current stage, which began almost 2.5 years ago demonstrates the notable results associated with the entry of Uzbekistan into the international arena. Today, Uzbekistan is open for business and is looking for active ways to enter the World Trade Organization. Today we are involved in an active dialogue that covers all aspects of our relationship, including political and financial support for ongoing reforms both domestically and in relations with our closest neighbors. And we hope to strengthen our relations by actively discussing the updated Partnership and Cooperation Agreement».

After the welcoming words of the organizers, a discussion platform was opened, which provided an opportunity for the key partners and project beneficiaries to speak.

In her speech, the chairman of APTA G. Israilova noted the positive results of cooperation. In particular, she emphasized that thanks to the project «Strengthening rural and ecotourism through business associations for sustainable economic development in Central Asia», many of the goals were achieved: to increase the level of entrepreneurial knowledge and employment of the rural population, as well as increase the development potential of CBT- tourism in Uzbekistan.