Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 7 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, held a telephone conversation with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas.

This was the first contact between the Uzbek foreign minister and the newly appointed head of European diplomacy.

During the conversation, both sides discussed key issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

The diplomats noted the progress made in developing the partnership between Uzbekistan and the EU and expressed confidence that the upcoming Central Asia-EU summit would be an important step towards further deepening cooperation.

"Significant results have already been achieved, and there are new milestones ahead. We are looking forward to hosting the Central Asia-EU summit this year in Samarkand," said Bakhtiyor Saidov.

The summit, originally scheduled for spring 2024, was set to take place in Samarkand, but it has been postponed to 2025.

The event is expected to be an important platform for strengthening ties between Central Asian countries and the European Union, as well as for discussing strategic issues in the fields of economy, security, and sustainable development.