On April 23, the Foreign Secretary for the Commonwealth and Development of the United Kingdom, Lord David Cameron, visited Uzbekistan as part of his tour to Central Asian countries and Mongolia. He became the first head of the UK Foreign Office to visit Uzbekistan in the last 27 years.
In his column for "Gazeta.uz" ahead of the visit, former Prime Minister of the UK outlined the priority areas that should elevate the cooperation between his country and Uzbekistan to a new level – expanding economic cooperation, advancing education, and strengthening independence.
These issues were discussed during the talks between David Cameron and the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov. Following the discussions, a Memorandum of Understanding in the fields of regional and international relations and infrastructure, as well as a Joint Declaration on comprehensive cooperation were signed, envisioning the expansion of cooperation in areas such as counterterrorism, defense, climate change, and human rights.
The Joint Declaration outlines the vision of the two countries to build more dynamic relations between their peoples, increase trade and investment flows, expand cooperation in politics, security, and defense, and participate in addressing key issues such as climate change, clean energy, sustainable socio-economic development, gender equality, and decarbonization.
The Memorandum of Understanding aims to expand economic and industrial cooperation by supporting the development of sustainable infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan. It focuses on new high-speed railway projects in Uzbekistan and areas where the UK can provide support, including through the use of UK export finance assistance.
The proposal to establish a Joint Economic Commission between the UK and Uzbekistan underscores the shared commitment to expanding bilateral trade and investment ties, serving as a new platform for intergovernmental dialogue on economic cooperation and support for British and Uzbek businesses.
David Cameron announced an increase in funds allocated for development in Central Asia by £50 million over the next three years, in addition to the funds that the UK provides through core contributions to multilateral organizations.
He unveiled a new program on education and the English language, including doubling the funding for Chevening scholarships for Central Asian countries, a program for the development of small and medium-sized businesses focusing on green investments, and a special program to address climate change issues with an emphasis on clean energy and water security.
According to the UK side, the mutual trade between the two countries in 2023 amounted to £472 million, increasing by 132.5% compared to the previous year.
After the negotiations, Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov expressed confidence that David Cameron's visit will elevate bilateral and multilateral cooperation to a new level.
David Cameron told reporters that the UK wants to build partnership relations with Uzbekistan and Central Asia and does not ask for sides to choose. He emphasized that Central Asia is an important region of the world and that the UK wants to offer choices for cooperation in education, climate change, business, or trade.
He highlighted the importance of freedom of the media, stating that democracy involves debates and discussions. In Tashkent, the UK Foreign Secretary also met with the Chairperson of the Senate Tanzila Narbaeva and Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov to discuss reform progress, inter-parliamentary relations, trade and investment expansion, and cooperation in the education sector.
The cultural part of the visit included a tour of the Hazrati Imam complex and acquaintance with the national cuisine at the "Karavan" restaurant. David Cameron even participated in cooking pilaf, jokingly asking if the chef would hire him.
He also met with graduates of British universities who studied under the Chevening program.
