The Europe-Uzbekistan Association for Economic Cooperation (EUROUZ), together with the EU delegation in Uzbekistan, celebrated a significant milestone in EU-Uzbekistan relations with the official inauguration of EUROUZ Full Tashkent Branch office.

The event brought together over 140 high-ranking participants from the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the European Union, representatives of European and Uzbekistan companies, the international diplomatic community in Tashkent, and media representatives. The event celebrated EUROUZ's official registration in Uzbekistan as a formal branch of an international nonprofit, non-commercial Association and as Europe's first officially supported European Union's Business Commerce Chamber in Uzbekistan, covering all countries of the European Union & the European Economic Area, offering a unique platform for engaging with leaders and decision-makers from both public & private sectors in the realm of international economic cooperation, celebrating the longstanding and evolving partnership between Uzbekistan & the European Union.

Previously, EUROUZ's operation in Uzbekistan was limited due to a representation through an officially designated commercial representative office. The new registration as a branch office of an international organization will allow for a significant expansion of EUROUZ activities to support Uzbekistan's companies' ambitions to expand their business presence to the European markets and to offer its Europe-based members more on-the-ground support in Uzbekistan. Through its new branch in Uzbekistan, EUROUZ and its members will, for the first time, be able to engage, share & benefit from new joint initiatives in experience-sharing, capacity­building & business training projects based on the European best practices, which may benefit Uzbekistan's private and public sectors development. While continuing to support EU trade and economic missions to Uzbekistan, the EUROUZ branch in Uzbekistan will also now spend more time organizing & supporting new economic & business delegations from Uzbekistan to the European Union countries to develop further & strengthen the business-to-business opportunities and collaboration potential.

In 2023, EUROUZ has either organized or closely supported a total of 36 events related to EU-Uzbekistan business collaboration either in Uzbekistan or across Europe, including practical support rendered to the business part to the visits by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Italy and Germany in 2023, as well as to France in 2022. EUROUZ also supported several European Union's high-level delegations to connect with Uzbekistan's business leaders in events organized for EUROUZ members annually. The total number of individual members of the European business delegations supported by EUROUZ in 2023 exceeded the number of 1000 business people and EUROUZ is grateful to the Government of Uzbekistan for continued collaboration and support being rendered towards the expansion of European business presence and investments in Uzbekistan.

As a highlight of the evening, 30 of Uzbekistan's & European companies, who have joined EUROUZ during the year received official EUROUZ Membership Certificates presented by EUROUZ Secretary-General together with the Ambassador of the European Union in Uzbekistan and Deputy Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia at the EEAS, acknowledging the integral role of these companies in this growing economic cooperation between Europe & Uzbekistan. The event concluded with a networking reception, allowing attendees to discuss and reflect on the evening's proceedings and the prospects of future collaboration.

This inauguration represents more than just a new office space, it becomes a testament to years of successful economic collaboration and a forward-looking gesture towards achieving even greater milestones in the future, ahead of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the EU and Uzbekistan, which will be celebrated in 2024.