Uzbekistan and UAE hold inaugural consular consultations in Tashkent

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The first round of official consular consultations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates was held in Tashkent, marking a new milestone in institutional coordination between the two nations' foreign ministries.

The primary focus of the bilateral session was directed toward expanding administrative cooperation across the consular vertical, exchanging technical expertise, and implementing practical measures to elevate the quality of civil services provided to citizens traveling or residing abroad.

The diplomatic delegation from the United Arab Emirates was spearheaded by Faisal Isa Lutfi, the Assistant Sub-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs. The host Uzbek delegation was led by Sherzod Batyrov, the Director of the Consular-Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

Opening the high-level meeting, Faisal Isa Lutfi delivered an official greeting on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressing confidence in achieving the synchronized operational goals set for the session.

The head of the Emirati delegation emphasized that comprehensive ties between Uzbekistan and the UAE continue to experience dynamic, multi-sectoral growth. He noted that this strategic momentum reflects the shared political determination of both state leaderships to broaden mutual partnerships and expand institutional cooperation in fields of shared international interest.

During the structural negotiations, the two sides placed special emphasis on refining communication channels between their active consular services, standardizing cross-border coordination mechanisms, and evaluating best practices in digital government services. Officials highlighted that establishing this first-ever dedicated consultative round represents a major practical step toward fortifying systemic, legal, and operational linkages.

Concluding the working session, the participants expressed their shared intent to transition these consultations into a permanent, regular bilateral dialogue mechanism. The institutionalization of these meetings is expected to simplify bureaucratic consular procedures, accelerate data sharing, and facilitate smoother human mobility and commercial ties between Uzbekistan and the UAE.