The heads of the European Council António Costa and the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit Uzbekistan on April 3-4 to participate in the first EU-Central Asia summit, which will be chaired by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, according to a press release distributed by the EU delegation in Tashkent, Interfax reported on February 14.

The 20th ministerial meeting dedicated to preparations for the EU-Central Asia summit is expected to take place on March 4 in Ashgabat.

"The summit will be a key opportunity for the European Union to demonstrate its geopolitical interest in deepening bilateral cooperation and expanding regional cooperation with Central Asia," the press release said.

As noted, the summit, which will be held in Samarkand, will be attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. According to the press release, during the summit, "the EU will reaffirm its commitment to enhanced cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including transport and digital connectivity - within the region and with the EU; strategic raw materials; economy and security; and the transition to clean and efficient energy sources".

The background information provided states that in 2019, the EU adopted a new strategy for Central Asia, which highlights the growing strategic importance of the region for the EU's interests and builds on the positive developments in regional cooperation in recent years.

The updated strategy aims to develop a stronger, more modern and inclusive partnership with the Central Asian states to make the region a stronger, more resilient, prosperous and closely interconnected economic and political space.

It is noted that the EU is the region's second largest trading partner, as well as the largest investor, accounting for more than 40% of all investments in Central Asia.