At the end of April 2021, the Uzbek produce exporter Global Export shipped 44 tonnes of beans to the world leader in canned vegetables, French company Bonduelle. With this result of a new partnership between the two companies, Global Export’s director hopes to strengthen this collaboration.This article was originally published on Novastan’s French website on 5 May 2021. According to Uzbek media UzNews, the Uzbek company Global Export exported the first batch of vegetables during the end of last April with the help of the Uzbek embassy in France and the Uzbek Export Promotion Agency. Supplying Bonduelle with ‘black eyed beans’, or black eyed peas, this partnership adds France to the list of Global Export’s twenty-six partners, according to its website.

In a comment to Novastan, the director of Uzbek company Global Export Abbos Botirov explained the intent to develop the Bonduelle partnership. “Receiving European partners’ recognition is absolute proof of the quality of our company’s products,” declares Abbos Botirov. “Our company already has strong partnerships with companies in eight European countries. This was also made possible through compliance with international food standards such as FSSC 22000”, he added.

Global Export aims to strengthen Bonduelle partnership in the coming months

“This recognition from the greatest worldwide vegetable can company shows that our business has started to gain status as a trusted partner in agricultural produce,” explains Abbos Botirov. Read More on Novastan: Uzbekistan asked France to be more involved in Central Asia As of May 2021, the agreement between the two companies has seen 180 tonnes of beans exported to France. Moreover, the Global Export director sees the partnership heading in a positive direction, adding “We expect to significantly increase the volume of exportation to 700 tons per year.” Bonduelle did not respond to Novastan’s request for comment.

Joanna Blain Editor for Novastan

Translated from French by Emma Bekrine

Edited by Fiona Katherine Smith

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On May the 3rd 2021, the two ministers spoke about the future of the Franco Uzbek cooperation, the possible prospects and the actual obstacle. Their telephone conversation demonstrates a new step towards a partnership already robust.

This article was originally published on Novastan’s French website on 10 May 2021.

As reported by Uzbek media Uzbekistan Daily, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov, rang his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on 3 May 2021.

The two ministers discussed the current situation and the perspective of the Franco-Uzbek cooperation in political, commercial, economic, cultural, and humanitarian areas among others.

A full schedule for Uzbekistan and France

The joint events to come between both countries were inspected, such as the next meeting of the Franco-Uzbek intergovernmental committee on commercial and economic cooperation. The latter was held on May 10 at Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, as described by the French minister of Foreign Affairs. Both counterparts also mentioned the second ministerial meeting as part of the France-Central Asia format.

Abdulaziz Kamilov and Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed some local problems in Central Asia regarding security. Afghanistan’s situation was part of the discussion, together with the recent confrontation at the Tajik-Kyrgyz border that has caused about fifty deaths. In such circumstances, both ministers expressed the necessity of a local stability.

Read more on Novastan: What are the underlying reasons for the deadly Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes?

At the end of the discussion, Abdulaziz Kamilov expressed his will to see France be part of the International Conference “Central and Southern Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenge and opportunity.” This conference, which will take place in July 2021 in Tashkent, will be welcoming the involvement of Russia, as declared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Serguey Lavrov.

This event should allow Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan to talk about the development of the transport network between the three countries. This is a major issue which is part of a tourism development project announced by Uzbek government in late February. In late April, a railway line between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has been provided with electricity, showing the ambition of developing the railway network.

Read more on Novastan: Russia commits to railroad corridor China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan

Jean-Yves Le Drian already had the will to strengthen the relationship of France and Uzbekistan. During a conference held on July 20 2018, the minister delivered a speech describing the willpower of France to reinforce the commercial and economic relationships with Uzbekistan. “I deeply wish France to become a partner in Uzbekistan. To achieve this goal, I know that administration and businesses […] are not sparing themselves.”, he concluded in his speech.

However, this speech was the last connection between Uzbekistan and Jean-Yves Le Drian before the telephonic talk with his counterpart on 3 May.

France and Uzbekistan, a long-time cooperation

The relations between the two countries are not new. Since the ratification of the friendship and cooperation treaty between Uzbekistan and France in 1993, both demonstrate a strong bond and work together in several fields.

French companies are particularly involved in Uzbekistan’s business. In December 2020, an agreement was signed to allow French company Rungis to set up in Uzbekistan. And vice versa, Uzbek businesses collaborate with France. In late April, Uzbek society Global Exports furnished thousands of tons of beans to Bonduelle, a massive vegetable distribution company in France.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan is not the first minister from Central Asia with whom Jean-Yves Le Drian talked recently. This establishing contact with Abdulaziz Kamilov is reminiscent of the conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tleuberdi on late April 28, as reported by the French ministry’s website. In the same fashion, the two ministers discussed relationships between both countries and expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation.

Léonard Dillies Writer for Novastan

Translated from French by Flavie Deschamps

Edited by Emma Bekrine

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On May 17, 2021, Kazakhstan inaugurated its Consulate General in Strasbourg in order to get closer to the Grand Est region and the European Union. This will reinforce France’s status as the leading partner to Central Asia. This article was originally published on Novastan’s French website on the 25th of May 2021. It is a step closer to one another for Kazakhstan and France. On May 17th 2021, Kazakhstan’s former diplomatic mission in Strasbourg has been officially transformed into a Consulate General, as the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in France has announced on its Facebook page. The consulate will have the mission to cover the Grand Est region as well as to develop closer relations with the European Union (EU), whose Parliament is based in Strasbourg. During the ceremony, Anuarbek Akhmetov was named as the Consul-General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Strasbourg. The event was attended by the ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in France, Jean Galiev, the first vice-president of the Grand Est region, Jean-Luc Bohl, as well as French senator and the regional councillor for the Grand Est, André Reichdart. The Norwegian Björn Berge, deputy secretary to the Council of Europe, was also present. In addition to these four, representatives of the diplomatic corps were also present, likewise representatives of the city’s town hall and Kazakh students, according to the embassy.

A Special Position

This Consulate General holds a special position in the sphere of Kazakh diplomacy in France. Whilst the embassy has a consular service, it distinguishes itself from the biggest country in Central Asia’s other three honorary consulates in Lyon, Nice, and Rennes. As a Kazakh diplomatic source pointed out to Novastan, the latter honorary consulates are run by French citizens and are used as assistance.

The new consulate in Strasbourg has many aims. As much as carrying out basic consular services in the Grand Est region, the consulate must also promote commercial and humanitarian cooperation between the countries, as the Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Equally, Kazakhstan hopes to develop cooperation in the digital, agri-food and renewable energy sectors – three sectors that are very present in this territory, as Jean Galiev noted during the inauguration.

A New Diplomatic Reach

As Kazakh media outlet Khabar24 explains, interest in a Consulate General in Strasbourg was reignited by the intensification of diplomatic relations with Western Europe, and in particular France, but also with the Council of Europe. From an economic standpoint, France is one of the most important investors in Kazakhstan whilst Nur-Sultan is Paris’ first Central Asian economic partner. This position was mentioned by the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Franck Riester, in an interview with the Kazakh media outlet Kazinform. According to the minister, France is Kazakhstan’s 8th largest partner. More broadly, Nur-Sultan is looking to the European Union and the Council of Europe. On 19 March 2021, the sixth session of the EU-Kazakhstan Investment Cooperation Dialogue was held. During this session, Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamincalled on EU ambassadors to establish a new dialogue to promote Kazakhstan’s economic development. With this Consulate General in Strasbourg, Nur-Sultan aims to have a more serious representation in the European institutions in order to bring diplomatic relations with Europe to a new level.

Novastan Editorial Team

Translated from French by Molly Arnold

Edited by Anna Wilhelmi

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