The United Kingdom and Central Asian Foreign Ministers convened in London for the inaugural “Central Asia-United Kingdom” Summit, reaffirming their shared commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, expanding economic ties, and advancing sustainable development across Central Asia. The discussions underscored the UK’s long-standing partnership with the region and highlighted new avenues for collaboration with Uzbekistan.
The summit, chaired by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, brought together the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for the first C5+UK meeting. The summit served as an important platform to exchange views on regional development challenges and opportunities, including trade diversification, industrial cooperation, sustainable infrastructure development, and unlocking Central Asia’s potential in critical minerals and renewable energy. The programme included a Market Open Ceremony at the London Stock Exchange, symbolising the shared commitment to strengthening capital markets, facilitating investment, and supporting long‑term economic growth.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It is a huge pleasure to be able to host this meeting for the first time. It reflects the importance we place on our partnerships and on the work that we believe our countries can do together. We know that global conditions are shifting quickly and that impacts on all of our countries, our economies, our communities and our security. And that brings risk but it also brings opportunity if we act together.
We are focussed on growth, resilience, connectivity and security. Because we believe in the opportunities as a partner. These partnerships with the Central Asian countries have good opportunities for our partnerships for the future and we’re very pleased to welcome you to London”.
The United Kingdom and Uzbekistan further deepened their bilateral partnership during Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov’s visit. Minister Saidov and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper held in-depth discussions on expanding strategic cooperation across priority sectors such as trade and investment, green and sustainable infrastructure, energy, and regional connectivity. A series of Memoranda of Understanding were signed, aimed at promoting pragmatic, results‑oriented collaboration, including greater use of green finance instruments, enhanced educational and academic exchanges, and support for joint project implementation. Both sides reaffirmed their determination to elevate the UK-Uzbekistan relationship to a new stage of practical, future‑focused cooperation.
During the visit, the Uzbek delegation held a number of high‑level meetings with UK government, financial, and private‑sector representatives. Engagements included talks with Lord Jason Stockwood, Minister for Investment; Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance, with whom an MoU was signed to support priority infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan; and leaders of Standard Chartered Bank and Benoy to advance cooperation in industrial financing, sustainable energy, modern city planning, and infrastructure development. The delegation also met the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP, and Lord Coaker, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and security cooperation. Additional events - involving interactions with Central Asian students, a cultural programme showcasing the region’s manuscript heritage, and participation in a ceremonial event with the Horse Guards - highlighted the breadth of UK-Central Asia engagement and the deepening ties between the peoples of both regions.
