Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have elevated bilateral ties with a Treaty on Eternal Friendship signed by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on 23 August. The leaders also agreed to expand trade, investment, transport, and regional cooperation.
During his state visit to Uzbekistan, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were welcomed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his wife, Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva.
Aliyev and Mirziyoyev later held talks focused on turning the countries’ strategic partnership into major economic and infrastructure projects.
“We have brought our bilateral relations to an absolute historic peak,” Mirziyoyev said, describing the treaty as a major milestone in relations between the two countries.
Trade and investment plans
Mirziyoyev said mutual trade had tripled over the past five years, with the two sides targeting at least $1 billion in annual trade turnover.
“The basis for this is accelerating the process to reach that trade turnover. We must reach it,” he said.
Aliyev said around $160 million of the fund had already been allocated and described the Uzbek-Azerbaijani fund as “the most effective and result-oriented.”
He said planned investments in Uzbekistan's tourism sector alone could reach $5 billion, alongside major hotel and residential projects in Tashkent.
The leaders also focused on expanding transport and transit links through the Caspian Sea.
Mirziyoyev called for faster development of a joint Caspian shipping fleet and proposed creating a dedicated Uzbek-Azerbaijani corridor with a single operator.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan's shipyard was operating at full capacity, with around 10 vessels under construction, and called for an Uzbek transit ferry to be prioritised.
The Azerbaijani President also said work on the Zangezur Corridor was advancing, with the main Azerbaijani section expected to be completed next year and construction underway on the Nakhchivan section.
Aliyev thanked Uzbekistan for its role in the reconstruction of Garabagh, highlighting the Mirzo Ulugbek School and a garment factory in Khankendi.
“Creating jobs, especially for women in the Garabagh region, is of immense importance right now,” Aliyev said.
The two countries also plan to expand cooperation in automotive manufacturing, agriculture, education, culture and sports.
Mirziyoyev proposed a joint film about poets Nizami Ganjavi and Alisher Navoi, as well as a “Two Countries- One Championship” programme around the upcoming World Youth Football Championship.
The leaders also highlighted Azerbaijan's participation in the Consultative Meetings of Central Asian States.
Aliyev thanked Mirziyoyev for his role in facilitating Azerbaijan's full participation in the format, calling it a major strategic development.
“Both of us, naturally, know well the enormous role you personally played in ensuring Azerbaijan’s full participation in this format,” Aliyev said.
Mirziyoyev said Azerbaijan's participation was helping create a closer connection between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, describing the process as the formation of “a unified, self-sufficient macro-region with powerful potential for mutual development.”
Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan said the relationship between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan had evolved from a strategic partnership to an alliance.
“Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations have already reached the level of a strategic alliance. Following the first contacts between the two Presidents, Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan ties have entered a new chapter, a new level,” Hajiyev said in an interview with journalists in Tashkent.
Hajiyev said the two countries' relationship now reflected an “eternal friendship”, describing it as a landmark development in Azerbaijan's diplomatic history.
He also highlighted the historical and cultural ties between the two peoples, saying the new treaty had brought those longstanding bonds into the political sphere.
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Repub...
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have elevated bilateral ties with a Treaty on Eternal Friendship signed by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev...
Nordic and Baltic leaders arrived in Kyiv for Ukraine’s Flag Day on Sunday as Russia continued its drone campaign and Kyiv warned of a potent...
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
Nordic and Baltic leaders arrived in Kyiv for Ukraine’s Flag Day on Sunday as Russia continued its drone campaign and Kyiv warned of a potential new Russian mobilisation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was not ready to make what he called the "right deal" with Washington as tensions persisted over the war and the Strait of Hormuz.
Syria has called for international action after an Israeli drone strike hit a civilian vehicle near Damascus, warning that continued Israeli attacks could deepen instability and put civilians at greater risk.
Pakistan says it has added 12 sites to its UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, taking the total from 25 to 37 and widening the country's roster of potential future nominations.
Uzbekistan and Georgia have launched an electronic permit system for international road freight, replacing paper documents in a move aimed at speeding up cross-border transport and cutting bureaucracy.
Kazakhstan accounts for 45% of Central Asia’s road and rail infrastructure investment, with around $32.3 billion committed as the region expands key transport links across Eurasia.
Türkiye said on Thursday it would continue helping Syria strengthen its military, despite rising tensions with Israel over Ankara’s role in the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment