France Enhances Consular Services in Tashkent as Uzbekistan Expands Strategic Agricultural Ties with Palestine

France streamlines Uzbek visa applications via TLSContact as tourist numbers jump 27%. Uzbekistan and Palestine prepare MoU to expand agricultural trade.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 12, 2026, 8:33 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Trend News Agency

Streamlining European Access: The New French Visa Center

In a significant move to facilitate international mobility, France has officially transitioned its visa processing operations in Uzbekistan to a dedicated TLSContact Center in Tashkent. The facility was inaugurated by the French Ambassador to Uzbekistan on March 12, 2026, marking a shift toward exclusive third-party processing to improve service quality and efficiency for applicants. This infrastructure upgrade comes at a pivotal time; data reveals a robust 27% year-on-year increase in French visitors to Uzbekistan, with over 27,500 arrivals recorded in the first ten months of 2025. The new center is designed to handle the growing volume of leisure and business travel, ensuring a more scannable and user-friendly experience for Uzbek citizens planning trips to the Schengen Area.

Strengthening Agrarian Diplomacy: The Uzbekistan-Palestine Dialogue

Parallel to its European diplomatic efforts, Uzbekistan is deepening its footprint in the Middle Eastern agricultural market. Minister of Agriculture Ibrahim Abdurakhmonov met with Palestinian Ambassador Wail Ahmed Batrekhi in Tashkent to finalize the details of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement aims to provide a formal framework for technical collaboration and trade expansion. Uzbekistan currently serves as a vital supplier of dried fruits, fresh vegetables, and non-alcoholic beverages to Palestine. The proposed MoU is expected to open new channels for processed agricultural goods, leveraging Uzbekistan’s growing export capacity to meet Palestinian consumer demand.

Tourism Trends and Economic Synergy

The opening of the visa center is not merely an administrative change but a response to shifting tourism dynamics. With leisure travel accounting for over 25,000 of the French visits in 2025, the demand for "Silk Road" tourism is at an all-time high. By centralizing document submission through TLSContact, the French Embassy aims to reduce wait times and provide a transparent tracking system for applicants. This synergy between improved consular logistics and rising cultural interest is expected to further bolster bilateral ties, positioning Tashkent as a central hub for French-Central Asian engagement.