Ljubljana, May 23, 2025 – The Europe Today: As part of his official visit to the Republic of Slovenia, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held high-level talks with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, focusing on strengthening multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, particularly in trade, investment, and industrial development.
Both leaders praised the productive outcomes of their meeting, underscoring a mutual commitment to intensify economic ties and practical collaboration across strategic sectors. A key highlight was the announcement of a planned business forum, expected to serve as a vital platform for forging new commercial partnerships and launching joint projects.
During the talks, the sides reviewed concrete measures to increase bilateral trade turnover to €500 million. This includes expanding the export and import of high-demand goods and leveraging the GSP+ preferential trade system and the newly signed agreement on standardization to spur trade growth.
A Plan for the Development of Industrial Cooperation will also be developed, with a focus on technological modernization. The Uzbek side welcomed the intention of leading Slovenian companies to implement investment projects in Uzbekistan in sectors such as electrical engineering, instrumentation, pharmaceuticals, green energy, and smart agriculture.
In support of these initiatives, Uzbekistan proposed allocating a site within a newly established special industrial park managed by Inpark, designed to host European production facilities.
The leaders further agreed on the need for systematic cooperation in labor migration, resulting in the creation of a permanent expert group to draft a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework. Discussions also covered the potential establishment of direct air links and the use of Slovenia’s Port of Koper to facilitate Uzbek exports to the European Union.
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation featured prominently in the agenda. President Mirziyoyev expressed keen interest in Slovenia’s expertise in eco-tourism, particularly in mountainous and rural regions. The two sides agreed to advance joint educational initiatives, including organizing a Youth Innovation Forum in Tashkent and holding reciprocal Days of Culture. A Week of Uzbek Cinema is scheduled to take place in Ljubljana next year.
To ensure the practical implementation of all agreed initiatives, both governments will adopt a comprehensive roadmap and convene the inaugural session of the Intergovernmental Commission in Ljubljana this July.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Mirziyoyev extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Robert Golob to visit Uzbekistan at a mutually convenient time, reaffirming the commitment of both countries to deepening their strategic partnership.
