The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke to the new President of the European Council António Costa Thursday, the presidential press service said.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated António Costa on his election as President of the European Council.

The parties reportedly commended that in recent years, Uzbek-European multifaceted cooperation had reached the highest level and were developing dynamically in all key areas.

In 2024, Uzbekistan's trade with the EU countries surpassed 6 billion euros, with the portfolio of projects with European companies reaching 30 billion euros.

Strategic partnership agreement on critical mineral resources was signed last year. Fruitful cooperation is underway in the field of transport and digital connectivity, the green economy, culture and other areas.

The parties voiced confidence in the earliest possible signing of an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Uzbekistan and the European Union, initialed on July 6, 2022. The deal is expected to give "a serious impetus to the development of the entire range of relations."

The two leaders also exchanged views on issues of the international agenda and regional cooperation.

They discussed joint plans for the preparation and holding of the first Central Asia-EU summit in Samarkand in April.

Earlier, the EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Toivo Klaar commented on the possible timelines of signing the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation.

"We hope and expect that the signing of the document can take place in the very near future. There are still details that need to be finalized in terms of the simple completion of the document and its preparation for signing. But the work is now ongoing, and once it is completed, we hope that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will be able to visit Brussels to sign it,” he stated in November 2024.