On June 11, 2025, a meeting was held between the Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies Eldor Aripov and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Estonia to Uzbekistan Jaap Ora.

The parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-Estonian cooperation, as well as regional security issues.

At the beginning of the conversation, Eldor Aripov congratulated Jaap Or on his appointment, expressing confidence that his work will contribute to the development of Uzbek-Estonian relations. The Ambassador, in turn, highly praised the reforms of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, noting their contribution to the growth of citizens' well-being and the dynamic development of Uzbekistan. "We are ready to actively support these transformations and deepen cooperation between our countries," the diplomat emphasized.

In this context, the stable dynamics of bilateral cooperation, especially in the trade and economic sphere, is noted. Since 2016, the volume of mutual trade has increased more than tenfold, primarily due to the provision of services, as well as the export of heavy engineering products and medical equipment. Eight enterprises with the participation of Estonian investors are successfully operating in Uzbekistan.

The meeting participants agreed that cooperation in the field of digitalization, innovation and the "green economy" are becoming promising areas of bilateral relations.

Turning to issues of regional cooperation, the parties noted a qualitative breakthrough in relations between Central Asia and the European Union. Particular attention was paid to the Central Asia-EU summit held in April in Samarkand, which defined strategic guidelines for further partnership.

Special attention was also paid to the development of expert dialogue. The interlocutors acknowledged that cooperation between the analytical centers of the two countries will facilitate the search for new mutually beneficial areas of interaction.