Foreign and Commonwealth Office – 2019 Press Release on UK and Uzbekistan Partnership

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 31/10/2019.

The agreement, formally known as the United Kingdom-Uzbekistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), ensures the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan continue to grant each other most-favoured nation (MFN) treatment for trade.

As Uzbekistan is not a member of the World Trade Organization, the legal status secured under the agreement will ensure businesses can continue to trade with confidence.

the signing of this agreement ensures there is no disruption in the relationship between the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan, and provides the foundation for future cooperation in foreign, political and security matters

the agreement maintains existing human rights, democracy and rule of law commitments and delivers certainty for business by securing continued most-favoured nation status for trade

the agreement recognises Uzbekistan’s commitment to an ambitious reform agenda and the accomplishments it has secured in political, economic and legal areas

Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Tim Torlot signed the agreement with Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov in Tashkent.

Welcoming the signing of the agreement, Foreign Office Minister for Europe Christopher Pincher said:

I’m pleased that the United Kingdom has today signed its first partnership agreement with a Central Asian country, underlining our close ties with Uzbekistan and securing long-term certainty for British businesses and consumers.

This deal highlights our shared ambitions for a broader and deeper political and security relationship and sets out future opportunities for cooperation in diverse areas such as trade, environmental protection and the protection of human rights.

Background

– the United Kingdom-Uzbekistan PCA replicates the effects of the existing EU PCA provisions as far as possible.

– the agreement provides for widespread cooperation in trade and investment, sustainable development, environmental protection and energy as well as human rights and governance

– this agreement is designed to take effect when the EU-Uzbekistan agreement ceases to apply to the United Kingdom, either following an implementation period or a no-deal Brexit. The agreement will be subject to the domestic parliamentary procedures in both the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan before it is brought into force