Ursula von der Leyen Arrives in Samarkand

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Samarkand on Wednesday, April 2, to attend the Central Asia–EU summit, according to the press service of Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov welcomed her at the airport.

Earlier, European Council President António Costa also arrived in the city. The summit will bring together the leaders of Central Asian countries.

Ahead of the event, von der Leyen stated that the Samarkand forum would serve as Europe’s response to the US-imposed tariffs. She noted that the summit is part of the EU’s broader strategy to diversify trade.

Over the past eight years, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the EU has increased 2.4 times, reaching $6.4 bn in 2024.