State visit of President Mirziyoyev to France: strategic partnership and high award

The state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to France on March 11-13 was warmly received. French President Emmanuel Macron awarded the Uzbek leader with the highest award - the Legion of Honor.

A new stage in bilateral relations

Mirziyoyev's third official visit to France took place at a time when the situation in Europe related to the war in Ukraine has become more complicated. President Macron pays great attention to the issue of independent security in Europe and is trying to strengthen relations with Uzbekistan. Also, during the visit, a joint declaration on strategic partnership was signed between the two countries.

Economic and energy cooperation

During the visit, the main attention was paid to economic cooperation and the energy sector. The visit was widely covered by popular French publications – Le Figaro and Radio France – and noted that Uzbekistan has become one of the main suppliers of uranium to France. Cooperation with France in the field of rare and strategic metals was also discussed. According to Euronews, Uzbekistan plans to increase uranium production to 7 thousand tons by 2030.

Official meetings and cultural dialogues

When President Mirziyoyev arrived in France, he was welcomed by Prime Minister and current Minister of Education Elisabeth Born. During the visit, he met with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and talked about the international event to be held in Samarkand this fall. Also, in Paris, President Macron held an official reception in honor of Mirziyoyev at the Elysee Palace. The ceremony was attended by members of the governments of the two countries, representatives of art, culture and business.

France and Uzbekistan – strategic partners

The number of strategic partners of Uzbekistan increased by one during the visit. The strategic partnership with France envisages further development of cooperation in the fields of defense, education, healthcare, investment and banking.

President Macron also announced the visit on his Instagram page and published 4 posts about Uzbekistan. One of them noted that Mirziyoyev was presented with a photo depicting the landscape of Uzbekistan, taken by a French photographer in the late 19th century.

Among the people awarded the highest French award - the Legion of Honor - are such famous politicians as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Zelensky, Vladimir Putin and Mehriban Aliyeva, the wife of Ilham Aliyev.

This visit not only brought relations between France and Uzbekistan to a new level, but also created new opportunities for further strengthening cooperation between Europe and Asia. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”