Author for the SEnECA Blog: Ulugbek Normatov, Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
The official visit of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Germany in January 2019 can be regarded as a major foreign policy event of the year, marking a significant step toward strengthening Uzbekistan’s multifaceted international relations. The talks held in Berlin represented an important move toward Europe for Uzbekistan’s diplomacy.
Germany is one of Uzbekistan’s main trade and economic partners in Europe. By the end of 2018, the bilateral trade turnover reached USD 772 million, an increase of 24.5 percent compared to 2017. In addition, Germany is among the countries providing substantial financial and technical assistance to Uzbekistan. With the support of the German government, Uzbekistan has implemented several important projects totaling EUR 320 million.
Constructive cooperation between Uzbekistan and Germany takes place both globally and regionally, including within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the European Union (EU). Tashkent and Berlin share fully or partially aligned positions on many international issues, including the fight against terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking, which contributes to their productive collaboration on the international stage.
By describing Central Asia as a region of “strategic importance,” Berlin consistently underscores the significance of this direction in its foreign policy—both at the national and European levels. Germany traditionally positions itself as the leading European nation in Central Asia, having successfully established close partnerships with all countries in the region. It was the first EU member state to open diplomatic missions in all Central Asian capitals and became the main initiator of the EU Strategy for Central Asia. Currently, German diplomats are actively engaged in drafting the updated version of this strategy, scheduled for adoption in 2019.
Interest in Uzbekistan within Germany has grown sharply due to the large-scale reforms initiated by President Mirziyoyev aimed at liberalizing and democratizing the state. According to Eckhard Franz, a representative of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, “just two years ago, it was absolutely impossible to imagine the restoration of bilateral economic relations in the form we see today.”
At the Uzbek-German international roundtable held in Tashkent in September 2018, Niels Annen, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office, stated that “Germany fully supports Tashkent’s achievements in opening its borders and integrating Afghanistan into regional cooperation.”
The further deepening and expansion of Uzbekistan’s multifaceted relations with one of Europe’s leading states—both bilaterally and multilaterally—will make a significant contribution to the sustainable development not only of Uzbekistan but of the entire Central Asian region. Strengthening comprehensive political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties with one of the world’s largest industrial and technologically advanced economies will enable Uzbekistan to further unlock its potential during a period of rapid reforms and modernization.
An inflow of high-quality investment and advanced technologies from Germany will boost Uzbekistan’s industrial sector and help increase exports of competitive products to neighboring markets in South and East Asia. The strategic level of Uzbek-German relations will become one of the key factors ensuring the security and development of Central Asia.
Official project website: https://www.seneca-eu.net
This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 770256.
