Early on Tuesday morning, German government delegation headed by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock landed in Tashkent on an official visit, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.
The delegation was welcomed at the airport by the Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov.
During the visit, Annalena Baerbock will hold talks at the Foreign Ministry and other departments. She will also be hosted by the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Presidential spokesman Sherzod Asadov said the day before that the talks would touch upon the prospects for cooperation between the two countries, issues of trade and economic partnership and the situation in the region.
The German delegation will also visit large enterprises of the Tashkent and Samarkand provinces.
On the eve of the visit, the German Foreign Minister said that the main purpose of her visit to Kazakhstan (which she visited before arriving in Tashkent) and Uzbekistan is to “listen to the hopes and expectations” that these countries have towards Europe in the context of the crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine and other global crises.
She underscored that the visit in the year of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the two countries is a signal that Germany remains a reliable partner both in terms of culture and economy, as well as in terms of personal ties.
“Germany and Europe offer fair and open opportunities that do not involve the creation of new dependencies or the use of financial leverage,” the minister stressed.
Annalena Baerbock also plans to meet with representatives of civil society. “Economic development and human rights are two sides of the same coin. Because strong regulations provide better investment protection for companies and long-term prosperity and security are only possible if people's rights are guaranteed,” she said.
