Brussels, 01/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the sixth EU/Uzbekistan Cooperation Council held in Brussels on Tuesday with the participation of the foreign minister of Uzbekistan, Sodyq Safayev, the EU restated its resolve to strengthen relations with this former Soviet Republic in the political, economic and trade areas, the president-in-office of the EU Council, Jean Asselborn, ,told the press. “We also reminded Mr Safayev of the importance that the EU attaches to total respect of human rights, democracy and the rule of law and, in this context, the EU has restated its opposition to the death penalty which is still applied in Uzbekistan”, Asselborn said (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.8). “The political will to move in this direction (toward political and democratic reform) exists, but now it must be implemented”, and the EU is ready to help Uzbekistan make this effort, he insisted. Michael Leigh, Deputy Director General for External Relations at the European Commission, stressed that the Commission has already provided Uzbekistan with overall technical assistance worth EUR 150 million, not to mention the many regional projects in which the country is also involved. “We are willing to go on with this process” and the new economic cooperation and development instrument which is to be introduced in 2007 will even allow the EU to extend its aid over and beyond technical assistance to cover other areas, Mr Leigh explained. Sodyq Safayev stressed his government's determination to extend dialogue with the EU in the context of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). He said the EU should be more actively involved in the Central Asian region. 'I invite the European Union to ensure a greater presence (in Central Asia) not only at political, economic and trade level but also in other sectors such as education and science”, Safayev said.