Czech Republic and Uzbekistan Target €1 Bn Trade as New Pacts Signed
The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, have signed a declaration aimed at advancing an enhanced strategic partnership.
During the Czech leader’s diplomatic visit to Uzbekistan, the two governments formalised a comprehensive package of documents designed to foster mutual cooperation across the economy, industry, science and culture.
Key highlights of the new operational agreements include a commitment from the Czech Republic to supply electric trains to the Uzbek national railway network and provide technical assistance in establishing a modern metrological laboratory.
Tashkent and Prague have also pledged to launch joint initiatives for training diplomats and to collaborate on future projects in the field of geology.
Securing essential energy supplies
This diplomatic engagement forms part of a much broader regional mission. Prior to his arrival in Tashkent, Prime Minister Babiš disclosed that the primary objective of his overarching tour across Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan was to secure vital oil and gas reserves for his nation.
«We are doing everything to ensure that the Czech Republic has adequate supplies of oil and gas from non-European nations and that fuel prices remain low,» the Prime Minister stated.
Bilateral economic relations have experienced a significant boom recently. According to the Uzbek presidential press service, the overall trade volume between the two states has almost doubled over the past few years. There are currently 37 businesses operating within Uzbekistan that benefit from the direct financial backing of Czech investors.
Looking ahead, Tashkent and Prague have set an ambitious target to push their mutual trade turnover to the €1 bn mark. Additionally, the two countries are laying the groundwork to establish a structured cooperation framework regarding regulated labour migration.
