Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is in Baku for the seventh Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit on 14–15 October, as Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan seek to turn stronger political ties into deeper economic cooperation.
Trade and investment are at the heart of the growing partnership between Baku and Tashkent. Bilateral trade reached $795 million in 2025, according to figures cited by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with both countries aiming to raise annual trade turnover to $1 billion by 2030.
Joint industrial projects are already taking shape. A partnership between Uzbekistan’s Uzavtosanoat and Azerbaijan’s AzerMash at the Hajigabul Industrial Park has produced Chevrolet vehicles and Isuzu buses.
Cooperation is also expanding into banking, with Azerbaijani bank ABB entering the Uzbek market through the ABB Davr project.
Transport links are another major priority, as landlocked Uzbekistan looks to expand its access to global markets via the Caspian Sea. Transit freight between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan reached 1.4 million tonnes in 2025, with volumes rising a further 12.2 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
Both governments are investing in closer connectivity through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle Corridor, which links Central Asia to the South Caucasus and European markets.
Tashkent has also expressed interest in helping develop infrastructure at Azerbaijan’s Port of Alat. Plans under consideration include a joint fleet in the Caspian Sea and a dedicated Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan transport corridor.
The partnership extends beyond trade and transport, with Uzbekistan playing an active role in reconstruction projects in Azerbaijan’s Garabagh region.
Tashkent has built the Mirzo Ulugbek School in Fuzuli, with capacity for 960 students, and invested in a garment manufacturing facility in Khankendi.
The $6.2 million factory is expected to create around 800 jobs, supporting local employment alongside wider reconstruction efforts.
Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly praised Uzbekistan’s contribution to rebuilding social infrastructure and creating jobs in Garabagh.
Mirziyoyev’s visit comes as Azerbaijan hosts the seventh CICA Summit, bringing regional security and economic connectivity into focus.
Held under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, the gathering will address trust, peace and security across Asia, alongside transport connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable economic growth.
Leaders are expected to adopt the Baku Declaration and a package of decisions designed to strengthen the organisation’s institutional role.
For Uzbekistan, the meeting offers a chance to promote its transport and economic interests while expanding diplomatic engagement across Asia. Mirziyoyev is also expected to hold bilateral talks with foreign leaders on the sidelines.
The visit follows Aliyev’s trip to Tashkent in August, when Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan signed a Treaty on Eternal Friendship, reinforcing their strategic partnership and commitment to closer cooperation.
The agreement laid the groundwork for broader collaboration in trade, investment and transport, with both sides increasingly looking beyond traditional commercial exchanges.
Joint manufacturing, infrastructure development and investment are now central to that ambition. The Baku summit offers another opportunity to turn political commitments into practical projects while strengthening the two countries’ role in regional economic connectivity.
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