Political relations

Germany and Uzbekistan have maintained bilateral relations since 1992. Germany has an embassy in Tashkent. Regular consultation formats are in place that focus on political, economic and cultural cooperation between Germany and Uzbekistan. Following reciprocal visits by the two heads of state in 2019, cooperation has been expanded. A strategic regional partnership between Germany and Central Asia was established in September 2023 at a meeting between the five Central Asian presidents and the Federal Chancellor. Germany is supporting political efforts to liberalise the economy by providing consultancy services and it is assisting Uzbekistan’s reform process, in particular in the sphere of development cooperation. In May 2023, the Foreign Ministers of Germany and Uzbekistan signed a wide-ranging joint declaration of intent on the deepening of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

Economic relations

Germany is an increasingly important trading partner for Uzbekistan. In 2023, it ranked seventh among Uzbekistan’s trading partners. Recently, there has been dynamic growth in the volume of bilateral trade, which amounted to approximately 1.2 billion euro in 2023 (ranking 73rd among Germany’s foreign trading partners; source: Federal Statistical Office). Major German investors include Papenburg, Knauf, Siemens, Trützschler and Claas.

Development cooperation

Following the realignment of development cooperation (the 2030 reform strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), Uzbekistan will be the only recipient of state bilateral development cooperation in Central Asia in the future. Cooperation focuses on the following areas:

• Sustainable economic development, training and employment
• Health, social security and demographic policy
• Peace and social cohesion, as well as
• Climate and energy and a “just transition” (to a climate-friendly economic system)

Development cooperation between Germany and Uzbekistan was significantly expanded in 2022 and 2024. This partnership relates in particular to financial cooperation in the areas of wastewater infrastructure and social policy. For the first time, Uzbekistan received a policy-based loan linked to strict indicators from market funds provided by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).

Uzbekistan is also included in regional projects that focus on vocational training, promoting the rule of law and preventing violent extremism, as well as strengthening regional cooperation in the area of the environment.

All of the following are active in Uzbekistan: the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V., the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, the Senior Expert Service (SES), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Savings Banks Foundation, the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association, the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), the German Economic Team and the Deutsche Welle Akademie.