Uzbekistan considering 9 bln euro worth of cooperation projects with leading German companies, banks

TASHKENT. Sept 16 (Interfax) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have discussed broader bilateral relations during talks in Samarkand, including a program for industrial and technological partnership under projects worth 9 billion euros, the president's press service said in a statement on Sunday.

"Further expansion of Uzbek-German wide-ranging relations were considered during the talks," the statement said.

The industrial and technological partnership program was prepared for the summit, it said. Cooperation projects with the leading German companies and banks, worth about 9 billion euros, are in development. "They cover areas such as green energy, the chemical sector, the exploration of critical materials, machine-building, the textile industry, the production of building materials, and many others," the statement said.

At the meeting Mirziyoyev suggested considering relaunching direct Lufthansa flights to Uzbekistan.

He also expressed interest in a broader partnership between the two countries' regions. Since the beginning of this year Uzbekistan has hosted representatives from two German states, the press service said. Similar visits by delegations from Berlin, Bavaria and Thuringia are expected before the end of year.

"The signing during this visit of a labor migration agreement aimed at organizing transparent and systemic cooperation in this sphere was noted with satisfaction," the statement said. It was proposed at the talks that the two sides draw up a roadmap of practical interactions to train and send Uzbek specialists to Germany.

Eight documents were signed during Scholz' official visit to Uzbekistan, including an intergovernmental agreement on comprehensive partnership in migration and mobility, a declaration of cooperation on critical minerals, veterinary and livestock farming, and sustainable use of water resources as part of the Green Central Asia initiative. In addition, Uzbekistan and Germany adopted the 2024-2026 industrial and technological cooperation program and signed a package of agreements and contracts at their level of their leading enterprises.