French President Emmanuel Macron met with Saida Mirziyoyeva, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Tuesday. The discussions centered on expanding bilateral relations between France and Uzbekistan.
Mirziyoyeva, who also serves as the head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, conveyed greetings from her father and expressed optimism about future joint projects and initiatives between the two nations. She noted the long-standing partnership between France and Uzbekistan across strategic areas.
Mirziyoyeva, a law graduate, joined her father's administration in 2019 and has risen rapidly through the ranks. By 2023, she held a significant administrative position, and in June of the following year, she assumed her current top administrative role. She is married to entrepreneur Oybek Tursunov, whose father is reportedly a senior figure in Uzbekistan's State Security Service.
With over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, Mirziyoyeva actively uses her platform to discuss topics such as gender equality, women's rights, and family life. Analysts have suggested she could be a potential successor to her father, who has consolidated power and could remain in office until 2037 under revised term limits. This potential father-to-daughter succession has been observed elsewhere in Central Asia.
Mirziyoyeva also met with France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, on Monday. She previously met Ivanka Trump at the 2020 Global Women's Forum in Dubai, where they were seated with International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva.
