BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 4. The number of joint ventures between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan has increased five times in recent years, the ambassador of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan, Bahrom Ashrafkhanov said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at the second session of the Azerbaijan-Uzbek expert council on “Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan: promising directions of development of mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Uzbekistan currently has 540 companies with Azerbaijani capital, while about 70 enterprises with Uzbek capital are operating in Azerbaijan.
According to the ambassador, based on the accumulated experience, joint projects in the sphere of the automobile industry have already been successfully realized, as well as textile and silk-growing clusters are being created in Azerbaijan. Uzbekistan has established production of gypsum board and jewelry within the framework of bilateral cooperation.
“Over the past five years, trade turnover between our countries has tripled and reached 255 million dollars. The goal is to bring it to $1 billion," Ashrafkhanov noted.
Last year, Tashkent and Baku agreed on a program on 20 key areas of cooperation, including joint production of “green” energy and its export to Europe via Azerbaijan. In addition, the development of transport and logistics corridors, which both countries view as a strategic growth factor, is high on the agenda.
The Ambassador emphasized the importance of the Treaty on Allied Relations signed last August by the presidents of the two countries. According to him, the document is historical in nature and symbolizes a new level of interstate interaction, influencing not only the South Caucasus and Central Asia but also the processes in Eurasia as a whole.
“Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan actively support each other on international platforms - such as the UN, Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Turkic States, CIS, ECO, and others,” he added.
The diplomat noted that in the last three years alone, the heads of the two states have made five mutual visits, which indicates an unprecedented intensity of political dialogue.
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have declared 2025 the Year of Economic Cooperation, and this year they celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. A package of events has been prepared for the anniversary, including two high-level visits and large-scale cultural and humanitarian initiatives.
“We attach great importance to strengthening humanitarian ties. The celebration of the 880th anniversary of the great poet Nizami Ganjavi in both countries was a vivid example,” he emphasized.