Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 13 August 2025, the Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Laziz Kudratov, held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Uzbekistan, Aurélia Bouchez, who is concluding her diplomatic mission in the country.

The parties expressed mutual gratitude for their efforts in strengthening bilateral cooperation. The Ambassador noted the growing presence of French companies in strategically important sectors of Uzbekistan’s economy, attributing this to ongoing reforms aimed at improving the investment climate.

During the meeting, it was emphasized that over the past four years, trade and economic partnership between Uzbekistan and France has intensified significantly, with bilateral trade volume increasing fourfold and surpassing the US$1 billion mark for the first time.

The parties discussed plans to further enhance cooperation, including holding the next session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation by the end of this year.

Special attention was given to the development of investment cooperation. The Minister and the Ambassador expressed their appreciation to French companies MND and SUEZ for supporting joint projects in Uzbekistan. They also discussed the prospects for implementing strategically important initiatives involving TotalEnergies, Eiffage, EDF, Alstom, and Airbus.

In conclusion, Laziz Kudratov thanked Aurélia Bouchez for her personal contribution to strengthening Uzbek-French relations and wished her success in her future professional endeavors.

The sides reaffirmed their readiness to maintain a steady pace of cooperation and to develop mutually beneficial projects in key sectors of the economy.