A New Chapter in Europe’s Central Asia Policy: EU-Uzbekistan Agreement

Introduction

On the 24th of October 2025, the European Union (EU) and Uzbekistan signed the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), marking a milestone in the EU’s strategic shift towards Central Asia. After six years of negotiations, Uzbekistan has become the third Central Asian republic to strengthen ties with the EU, along with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, whose EPCAs were signed in 2015 and 2024, respectively. The signing of the agreement provides insight into the EU’s renewed diplomatic efforts in the region, but it also showcases the continuance of its approach and policies. Is the EU closer to achieving its strategic objectives in Central Asia? And, does the EU-Uzbekistan EPCA mark the beginning of a new period of European influence in the region?

Signing of EPCA with Uzbekistan Opens New Chapter of Cooperation. Source: Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Kazakhstan

Uzbekistan and the EU

Uzbekistan has been a prominent actor in Central Asia and a key piece in the EU’s understanding of the region. Even though the negotiation of the EPCA between the EU and Uzbekistan started in 2019, the bilateral relations experienced a significant improvement in 2016 after the death of Islom Karimov, who was Uzbekistan’s president since the country's independence. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as the newly elected president, implemented a series of diplomatic and economic reforms under the “Action Strategy” (2017-2021) and the “Development Strategy” (2022-2026), which positioned Uzbekistan as a benchmark in regional cooperation and energy policy (Bayramov and Indeo, 2024). The most notable human rights reform is the abolition of forced labour, while economically, Uzbekistan has improved its competitiveness and business growth by reducing bureaucratic barriers for businesses and developing key economic sectors such as energy and tourism (Sobirovich, 2025)

Mirziyoyev’s reforms resulted in economic liberalisation, commitment to respect human and political rights, and peace. These efforts have been praised by the EU, as they align Uzbekistan with the values fostered by the EU. Beyond the political sphere, Uzbekistan has a substantial geographical value, due to its central position at the intersection of the five Central Asian republics in the Fergana Valley, one of the most fertile areas in the world, and the epicentre of the border conflicts in the region. Uzbekistan is the second biggest economy in the region, only after Kazakhstan, and is a major exporter of gold and natural gas, whose relevance has increased after the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In this context, the EPCA serves to promote the EU’s interests in the region, specifically in Uzbekistan, where it expects to benefit from expanding trade exchanges and enhanced international mobility (European Council, 2025).

Central Asia and the EU

Central Asia is at a crossroads between the EU, Russia, and China, a contender for world hegemony. It has proven to be a challenging theatre for Western actors, considering the strong presence and influence of both China and Russia. Furthermore, the EU arrived in the region relatively late, since Central Asia was not integrated into the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). During the 1990s, the EU did not engage on a large scale with the Central Asian republics beyond cooperation in the humanitarian and development fields (Pepe, 2024). Nonetheless, the new century brought a more complex and multilayered cooperation based on democratisation, energy, and securitisation. The EU, seeking to decouple from American foreign policy in its pursuit of strategic autonomy, has adopted a new approach where the Central Asian republics are elevated from being its periphery to strategic partners. This situation has intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, since the EU has attempted to reduce its dependency on Russian imports (Kluczewska and Dzhuraev, 2020).

The EPCA, signed with Uzbekistan last October, exemplifies the new era conceived in the 2019 EU strategy for Central Asia that advocated for the strengthening of the partnership between the blocs. Since then, Kyrgyzstan signed its EPCA in 2024, while Tajikistan’s EPCA remains under negotiation. The EU’s diplomatic efforts flourished in April 2025 with the celebration of the first EU-Central Asia summit, where a compromise was reached to enhance the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership (European Council II, 2025).

Limitations of the EU approach to the region

The scope of the EPCA with Uzbekistan and the success of the EU’s renewed approach are highly dependent on lingering issues affecting the EU’s foreign policy effectiveness. A main factor limiting the EU’s economic development in the region is the nature of the treaties and agreements it pursues. While other states like China and Russia do not demand any political or social change in their negotiations, the EU requires and conveys a liberal political agenda and reforms in every international agreement in which it is involved (Pepe, 2024). Not every state is willing to subject itself to this level of interventionism, and the Central Asian republics, including Uzbekistan, have been reluctant to compromise on structural changes and socioeconomic reforms (Borrell, 2022).

On the other hand, the EU and Central Asia might not have realised the full extent of their relations, but it cannot be disregarded how essential European investment and trade are for Central Asia, with the EU being the second or most significant trade partner. As relations continue to deepen, new opportunities will unfold as the signature of the EPCA illustrates (Kluczewska and Dzhuraev, 2020).

Conclusion

The EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement represents a symbolic step forward in Europe’s engagement with Central Asia. It reflects both the EU’s renewed diplomatic efforts in the region and Uzbekistan’s own attempt to embrace its domestic reforms and diversify its partnerships. The EPCA showcases the broader EU’s strategy from gradual cooperation in the periphery to a more strategic presence based on energy, regional stability, and normative influence.

The limitations of this new chapter consist of the structural impediments present in the EU’s normative approach, as well as the continuing dominance of China’s economy and Russia’s security and political presence. Therefore, the EPCA can be best understood as an opportunity rather than a guarantee. The future success of the EU-Uzbekistan partnership will depend on whether both sides can sustain their commitment and engage in a multipolar world where the EU endeavours to construct its sphere of influence.

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References

Bayramov, A., & Indeo, F. (2024). Geopolitical Constraints in the EU’s Revised Strategy towards Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. In European Union Governance in Central Asia: A Structural Approach. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032670218.

European Council. (2025, April 4). Joint press release following the first EU-Central Asia summit. European Council. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/04/04/joint-press-release-following-the-first-eu-central-asia-summit/.

European Council. (2025, October 24). Joint Statement on the occasion of the signing of the EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between the European Union and its Member States and the Republic of Uzbekistan. European Council. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/10/24/joint-statement-on-the-occasion-of-the-signing-of-the-eu-uzbekistan-enhanced-partnership-and-cooperation-agreement-epca-between-the-european-union-and-its-member-states-and-the-republic-of-uzbekistan/.

Kluczewska, K., Dzhuraev, S. (2020). The EU and Central Asia: The Nuances of an ‘Aided’ Partnership. In: Fawn, R. (eds) Managing Security Threats along the EU’s Eastern Flanks. New Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26937-1_10

Pepe, J. M. (2024). The EU in Central Asia. In Jakob Lempp & Sebastian Mayer (eds), Central Asia in a Multipolar World: Internal Change, External Actors, Regional Cooperation. Springer Verlag.

Sobirovich, B. T. (2025). New Uzbekistan and Political Reform: The Role of National Strategies In Strengthening Governance. Indonesian Journal of Public Administration Review 2, (2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.47134/par.v2i2.3753.