President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb paid official visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from 28 to 31 October 2025.
During the visits, President Stubb met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan in Astana and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.
The discussions concerned relations between the countries, global challenges, and the prospect of achieving a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.
“The multilateral rules-based system is highly important for both countries, and we are working together to make it stronger,” said President Stubb of his meeting with the President of Kazakhstan.
Central Asian societies are seeing rapid growth and development, and the countries are open to cooperation in various areas.
“With a young and growing population, Uzbekistan is making investments in education and related development efforts. There are plenty of opportunities for cooperation in this area,” said the President.
One of the key objectives of the trip was to increase economic cooperation between Finland and Central Asia.
An extensive Finnish business delegation participated in the trip to Central Asia. The delegation included 21 businesses in Kazakhstan and 16 in Uzbekistan. In both countries, the President attended a business seminar whose aim was to reinforce trade relations between the countries. During the trip, several memoranda of understanding and agreements were drawn up between companies.
“Central Asia is an important market for Finnish business life. Many Finnish companies already have operations in Central Asia,” the President said.
In addition, President Stubb learned about the countries’ education systems by visiting local schools. For example, the President gave lectures at the Maqsut Narikbayev University in Kazakhstan and the UWED University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan.
“Many schools in Central Asia have been influenced by Finland,” said President Stubb.
During the visit, joint statements were signed with both countries.
- Joint Statement by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the President of the Republic of Finland, Mr. Alexander Stubb
- Joint statement between the President of the Republic of Finland and the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
