Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan Review Expanding Strategic Economic Partnership
Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Friday received Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, who is on a working visit to Uzbekistan, to discuss the further expansion of the strategic partnership and allied relations between the two countries, with a particular focus on trade and economic cooperation.
During the meeting, Minister Jabbarov conveyed the sincere greetings and best wishes of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the Uzbek leader.
The discussions focused on current priorities for strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic sphere. Both sides welcomed the continued growth in trade and investment, noting that bilateral trade increased by 15 percent last year, while trade turnover has expanded by nearly 40 percent since the beginning of this year.
President Mirziyoyev and the Azerbaijani minister reviewed the progress of joint projects being implemented across a wide range of sectors, including development, energy, geology, logistics, finance, the fuel industry, textiles and tourism. They also highlighted the important role of the Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Joint Investment Company in advancing mutually beneficial investment initiatives.
The meeting underscored the importance of thoroughly preparing the economic agenda for upcoming high-level bilateral engagements to ensure concrete outcomes and further deepen strategic cooperation.
President Mirziyoyev highly praised the results of the meetings of the Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission and the Business Council, which were held earlier in the day, describing them as significant steps toward strengthening economic collaboration.
The two sides also stressed the need to ensure the successful organization of the forthcoming Forum of the Regions of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, viewing it as an important platform for expanding interregional cooperation, promoting investment opportunities and enhancing business-to-business partnerships.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to further strengthening their strategic alliance through increased trade, investment and comprehensive economic cooperation.
