“OUR AGREEMENTS HAVE CROSSED THE €10 BILLION MARK — A CLEAR MEASURE OF THE TRUST FRENCH COMPANIES NOW PLACE IN THE UZBEK MARKET.”

WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT MACRON?

​

During the State visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Paris in March 2025 Uzbek-French cooperation reached a qualitatively new level – that of a strategic partnership. France is a strategic and highly important partner for Uzbekistan, and the figures speak for themselves. Our agreements have crossed the €10 billion mark, a clear measure of the trust French companies now place in the Uzbek market year after year, and one of the Embassy’s most important achievements. Today, 62 enterprises with French capital operate in Uzbekistan, including 23 joint ventures and 39 wholly French-owned.

Absorbed French investment reached $192.7 million in 2025, against $34.1 million in 2024, and the first quarter of 2026 alone brought over $63 million, almost double the full 2024 figure. Projects with Orano, TotalEnergies, EDF, Saint-Gobain, Voltalia, Veolia and SUEZ are delivering strong results on the ground, with high standards of cooperation across every stage of implementation. A new stage is now opening in interregional work: since January 2026 the Embassy team has visited Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie, with further missions planned. We see interregional engagement as an important driver for the next phase of practical cooperation.

WHICH SECTORS WILL ATTRACT INVESTORS OVER THE COMING YEARS?

​

The Embassy is already working in a highly targeted manner across the most promising areas of cooperation. High technology is the clearest draw. Uzbekistan is emerging as a regional leader in this field, the result of consistent reforms carried out by the Government under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. At the same time, we are actively attracting new players into key sectors such as industry, agriculture, chemicals and fertilisers production, automotive manufacturing, infrastructure, IT and construction.

Uzbekistan is steadily diversifying its production base. Given the country’s strong potential, opportunities exist across virtually every sector of the economy. French companies can be confident that their initiatives and solutions will translate into strong, practical and mutually beneficial projects on the ground.

HOW IS THE EMBASSY DIVERSIFYING TRADE WITH FRANCE?

​

Bilateral trade reached $1.377 billion in 2025: Uzbek exports of $872.7 million, imports of $504.6 million. Turnover with France is now among the highest in Europe, and we are working to raise it further. The positive balance remains a focus. Uzbekistan’s beneficiary status under the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) will play an important role in diversifying trade between our two countries, and Uzbek companies increasingly choose French partners to grow their businesses.

We have opened two trade houses this year: one in Paris for handicrafts, another in Lyon for textiles. We are also committed to organising as many events as possible to promote Uzbek goods and services in France. Uzbekistan will participate in SIAL 2026, and in September will serve as Country of Honour at IFTM Top Resa, the largest tourism fair in France, where we will present the country’s culture, traditions, history and tourism potential. We also return to the International Gastronomy Festival in Paris, building on last year’s presentation of Plov, Samsa, Chuchvara and other Uzbek specialities. I am confident these efforts will deliver tangible results in the years ahead.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO INVESTORS INTERESTED IN UZBEKISTAN?

​

Uzbekistan today is no longer the country it was ten years ago. It is a New Uzbekistan, with a long-term national strategy and a clear vision stretching decades ahead. The country is advancing through large-scale reforms, economic transformation and deeper integration into global markets, and under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev consistent efforts are being made to build a transparent, stable and predictable investment environment that reinforces trust and ensures favourable conditions for international investors.

The cultural dimension matters too. In autumn 2025, Samarkand hosted a session of the UNESCO General Conference, the first in forty years outside Paris. Together with the Uzbekistan-France University in Tashkent, opened in May 2025, and the Tashkent-Paris partnership agreement, these milestones reinforce the country’s reputation as a safe, sustainable destination. The New Uzbekistan is open to partnership, long-term capital and shared growth.