Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan Build a New Architecture of Cooperation

Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan (ISRS) Bakhtiyor Mustafaev commented to a Dunyo IA correspondent on the outcomes of the Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan high-level summit held on August 23–24.

– If we set aside the ceremonial protocol of the state visit, what was its main political outcome? Can we say that Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan relations have entered a new stage? 

Absolutely. The ceremonial welcome at the Kuksaroy Residence, the guard of honour and the national anthems of the two countries underscored the exceptional status of the visit. But its historic significance lies not in the ceremony, but in its political substance. The talks in a restricted format and third meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council covered the entire range of strategic partnership and allied relations. The signing of the Treaty on Eternal Friendship did not simply add to the existing legal framework – it formalized at the highest political level the quality of relations that had already developed in practice. Therefore, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s description of the visit as historic should not be seen as a mere protocol formula, but as an accurate assessment of the moment. 

I would define the essence of the current stage as the materialization of the alliance. Relations are no longer measured only by the frequency of meetings or the scale of statements. Their true measure is the ability to turn political closeness into concrete decisions and projects. The President of Uzbekistan formulated this principle very clearly: every element of the strategic partnership should be translated into tangible results. This is precisely the logic demonstrated by the visit.

The package of documents itself is also telling. Alongside the Treaty on Eternal Friendship and the decision adopted at the third meeting of the Council, agreements were signed on cooperation in pension provision, culture and tourism. A program was adopted to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, along with a practical action plan in the investment and trade sectors. Cooperation programs between the ministries of foreign affairs and justice for 2027–2028 were approved. a Memorandum on the exchange of experience and cooperation in canine services was also signed, as were protocols establishing sister-city relations between Urgench and Khankendi, Bukhara and Lachin, and Urgench and Nakhchivan.

This is not a collection of separate agreements, but an architecture of cooperation – from high politics and macroeconomics to interagency interaction and direct ties between cities.

Finally, the visit was backed by serious institutional preparations. It was preceded by a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, the work of the Business Council and the Regions Forum. Earlier this month, the hokims of Tashkent, Bukhara and Namangan regions visited Azerbaijan. This is fundamentally important. The alliance is no longer exclusively a dialogue between leaders; it has become a multi-level system of relations. Such a system is more sustainable and does not depend on the circumstances of a single visit.

– The economic agenda of the visit was quite broad. What distinguishes it from an ordinary list of intentions, and what place does Azerbaijan occupy in Uzbekistan’s foreign economic strategy? 

The main difference is the shift from a general willingness to cooperate to structured economic cooperation. Over the past five years, bilateral trade has tripled. However, the two sides did not limit themselves to noting this growth and adopted a program of concrete measures to increase trade turnover to $1 billion by 2030. Thus, the target is no longer simply a political aspiration, but a measurable commitment set out in an official document.

The structure of cooperation is equally important. The project portfolio covers energy, geology, the chemical industry, construction, finance and agriculture During the ceremony launching joint projects, the leaders gave the go-ahead to initiatives in banking, the production of modern construction materials, the establishment of educational institutions, the development of fuel station networks, major tourism and residential complexes, mineral processing and horticulture. This is no longer trade based on the simple “seller–buyer” model, but the formation of joint production, investment and infrastructure ties.

Particular attention should be paid to the Joint Investment Company, which was established several years ago. The mechanism already exists and its capital has been formed. The key issue now is how intensively it is used. The call to make greater use of the company’s opportunities means that the two sides see it not as an auxiliary instrument, but as one of the drivers for developing a new project portfolio.

There is another distinctive feature – the regional dimension. The visits of the hokims of Tashkent, Bukhara and Namangan regions to Azerbaijan demonstrate an effort to unlock the potential for cooperation not only at the capital-city level, but also at the regional level. When economic ties simultaneously cover energy, finance, agriculture, construction and regional cooperation, the entire structure becomes more resilient. Growth in one area can support the partnership if another area slows down.

– For Uzbekistan, connectivity is of strategic importance. What role does Azerbaijan play in this context, and why does this area go beyond bilateral trade? 

Azerbaijan has a quality that is of particular strategic value to Uzbekistan. It occupies an important position in the Trans-Caspian Corridor. For a landlocked country that is consistently expanding the geography of its foreign trade, transport connectivity is not a technical issue, but one of the conditions for economic stability.

That is why the agreement to jointly develop the Middle Corridor, improve the efficiency of logistics infrastructure and stimulate transportation should be viewed as more than an ordinary transport agenda. It is about the ability of the two countries to connect the spaces of Central Asia and the South Caucasus, turning their geographical position from a constraint into a development resource.

This is where the specific nature of Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan relations is particularly evident. Political trust makes it possible to discuss not individual routes, but connectivity as a long-term common interest. Economic projects give this interest practical substance, while coordination on the Middle Corridor raises the partnership to a level whose significance objectively goes beyond the framework of bilateral trade.

– The economy usually overshadows the humanitarian agenda. Yet during this visit, the humanitarian dimension was particularly prominent. What does this tell us about the nature of relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan?

It shows that our relations are based not only on shared interests, but also on the deep closeness of our peoples. Economic agreements create mutual benefits, while humanitarian projects foster mutual understanding, trust and a sense of shared belonging. This foundation allows the relationship to become something shared by the peoples themselves.

A particularly telling example is the new campus of the Nizami Tashkent State Pedagogical University in New Tashkent. It has been built on a 40-hectare site and is designed for 20,000 students, with dormitories providing 5,000 places. At the first stage, a five-story academic building with capacity for 12,000 students and a modern laboratory complex have already been constructed. A museum exhibition dedicated to the legacy of Nizami Ganjavi has also been created on the campus. This clearly demonstrates the strength of this approach. The name of the great Azerbaijani poet is entering Uzbekistan’s educational environment not simply as a commemorative inscription, but as part of a living intellectual space.

The same meaning lies behind the establishment of the Azerbaijan Park in New Tashkent on a four-hectare site. This initiative is fundamentally reciprocal. During President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Baku, a capsule was laid at the site of the future Uzbekistan Park in the White City, covering 4.5 hectares, where architectural representations of Uzbekistan’s historic monuments will be recreated. This kind of symmetry has become a rare and very precise language of humanitarian diplomacy. Every gesture of friendship receives a worthy response on the soil of the partner country.

The proposal to produce a joint feature film about the literary heritage of Nizami Ganjavi and Alisher Navoi fits naturally into the same logic. A shared civilizational heritage is being translated from ceremonial formulas into a cultural product accessible to a broad audience. This autumn, Azerbaijan will host the second Forum of Rectors of Leading Universities of the two countries, creating a regular platform for student and academic exchanges.

I would call all of this long-term infrastructure of trust. Trade figures depend on market conditions, whereas a university campus, a park, a film, and academic and student ties become part of people’s everyday lives and continue to have an impact for decades. This is the depth of the humanitarian agenda and one of the key features of the Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan alliance.

– The joint hosting of the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup is a major event, but is there a risk that it will remain merely a sporting episode? How can it be turned into political and social capital?

The FIFA decision to hold the U-20 World Cup jointly in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan already demonstrates the level of trust that has been built up. A tournament of this scale requires the highest level of coordination and the readiness of both states to share responsibility before the international football community.

But the leaders rightly chose not to limit the project to stadiums and matches. The agreement to develop a large-scale “Two Countries – One Championship” program also envisages cultural and youth events. This turns the sporting event into a platform for communication among a new generation – a generation that will shape the future of relations in economics, diplomacy, science and culture.

There is also an international dimension. The joint championship will allow Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to demonstrate the ability of Central Asia and the South Caucasus to act as a single organizational space and host major international events at the highest level.

The main point, however, is something else. University exchanges, joint creative projects and the championship form a unified youth agenda. An alliance can only have a future when it is carried not only by state institutions, but also by new generations of citizens. The horizontal ties being established today will tomorrow prove stronger than many declarations.

– Which moments of the visit best reflect the special nature of relations between the leaders and peoples of the two countries – and what is the main conclusion to be drawn from the visit?

First of all, the mutual awarding of the highest state decorations. President Ilham Aliyev was awarded Uzbekistan’s highest state decoration, the Order of “Oliy Darajali Do‘stlik,” while President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Azerbaijan’s highest state decoration, the Order of Heydar Aliyev. In different years, this order has been awarded to French President Jacques Chirac, the Emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The inclusion of Uzbekistan’s leader in this distinguished list clearly demonstrates the importance Baku attaches to its relations with Tashkent.

The words of Shavkat Mirziyoyev about Heydar Aliyev gave this episode particular depth – he described him as a leader who devoted his life to serving his homeland and laid a solid foundation for Azerbaijan’s future development. It was emphasized that he had great affection for Uzbek history and culture and had done much to bring the two peoples closer together. This was no longer the language of obligatory courtesy, but an expression of genuine respect for the historical memory of a partner.

It is also symbolic that the visit did not end in Tashkent. In Bukhara, the two heads of state, together with their spouses, visited the historic sights of the ancient city and explored the region’s potential in digitalization, light industry and electrical engineering. Thus, the official program acquired a personal and regional dimension. The Azerbaijani side saw the country not only across the negotiating table, but also through its cultural heritage and its modern drive for development.

The main conclusion is clear. Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan relations are strong because of a rare combination of political will, economic complementarity and human closeness. Their foundation is not short-term benefit, but mutual respect, a shared historical and cultural heritage, and a willingness to respond to trust with trust. That is why the Treaty on Eternal Friendship feels so natural. It does not promise to create closeness in the future; rather, it gives a name to the closeness that the two countries have already demonstrated through concrete actions.

 Dunyo IA