Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan: a forward-looking strategic partnership and alliance

On July 2-4, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a state visit to Azerbaijan and take part in the events of the Economic Cooperation Organization summit.

Azerbaijan is a close friend and time-tested reliable strategic partner of Uzbekistan. Diplomatic relations between the two states were established on October 2, 1995. Since then, the bilateral dialogue, consistently developing in the spirit of mutual respect and trust, has been raised to the highest level of strategic partnership of the alliance. Personal and especially trusting relations between the leaders of the two countries give the relationship a warm and trusting character.

With the signing of historical documents - the Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership and Enhancing Comprehensive Cooperation in 2022 and the Treaty on Allied Relations in 2024, a completely new page has opened in the history of bilateral relations.

Regular visits and summit meetings serve as the driving force for the development of interaction, setting a high pace for all areas of cooperation. Significant events in bilateral relations were the state visits of President Ilham Aliyev to Uzbekistan in June 2022 and August 2024, as well as the state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Azerbaijan in August 2023. During these visits, dozens of agreements were signed covering the political, trade-economic, transport, energy and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

The head of our state also took part in various multilateral forums in Azerbaijan - summits of the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in 2023, the Organization of Turkic States and UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in 2024.

In turn, the leader of Azerbaijan participated in the summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Organization of Turkic States in 2022, as well as the Economic Cooperation Organization in 2023, organized in Uzbekistan.

On June 10-11, 2025, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov paid an official visit Uzbekistan, within the framework of which he took part in the fourth Tashkent International Investment Forum.

Political interaction between the two states is built on the principles of open and constructive dialogue. Regular consultations between foreign policy agencies, active cooperation within the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, UTC, OIC, ECO and other regional and international organizations confirm the solidarity of the positions of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on many pressing issues of regional and global development.

Cooperation within the Economic Cooperation Organization occupies a special place on the agenda. Uzbekistan became a member of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on November 28, 1992 and cooperates fruitfully with other countries within the framework of the association. Expanding trade, economic and investment ties, increasing competitiveness in the world market, deepening industrial cooperation with foreign partners, development, effective use and creation of new transport corridors in the region are the most important areas of international cooperation.

In this context, it is important to note that Uzbekistan, being an active member of the ECO, comes up with important initiatives aimed at developing logistics corridors, trade and investment platforms and sustainable development in the region, which receive active support and are successfully implemented.

Within the ECO, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan demonstrate effective interaction, consistently supporting each other's initiatives and contributing to the implementation of joint projects, which fills the bilateral agenda with content.

The intensification of the Uzbek-Azerbaijani dialogue at the highest level since 2017 has contributed to the intensification of the exchange of delegations. Over 8 years, more than 150 visits at the highest and high levels took place.

This is clearly evidenced by the interparliamentary dialogue, which is an important link in strengthening bilateral cooperation and sustainable meaningful interstate exchange. The friendship groups operating in the parliaments of the two countries help strengthen trust, political coordination and develop joint approaches to the implementation of large-scale initiatives.

Successful examples of cooperation include the visit of the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva to Azerbaijan in February 2025 and the participation of the Chairman of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova in the 150th Assembly Inter-Parliamentary Union in April 2025 in the city of Tashkent.

On the eve of the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan, the First Uzbek-Azerbaijani Interparliamentary Forum was held in the city of Khiva, chaired by the heads of the parliaments of the two countries.

Dynamics of mutual visits and bilateral the meetings of the parliamentary delegations of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan at international events indicate the high interest of the parties in strengthening the bilateral dialogue, as well as cooperation within the framework of regional and global inter-parliamentary structures.

Cooperation at the interdepartmental level is actively developing. Political consultations are regularly held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries, a close dialogue is conducted at the level of transport administrations, trade and economic ties and industrial cooperation are being strengthened.

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are countries with large economic potential in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, respectively. This makes them economically promising partners seeking to deepen economic and investment cooperation. An important step in this direction was the establishment of the Uzbek-Azerbaijani Business Council in 2020. This platform allows us to identify new points of intersection of mutual interests and helps strengthen mutually beneficial investment and trade-economic cooperation.

More than 250 enterprises with the participation of Azerbaijani capital, operating in such areas as trade, mechanical engineering and metalworking, finance and insurance, real estate transactions, energy, services, manufacturing, make an important contribution to the economic development of Uzbekistan jewelry, food industry, light industry, and others.

One of the striking examples of industrial cooperation was the opening of the UzAuto car assembly plant in Azerbaijan, which expanded the export capabilities of Uzbekistan and created new jobs in Azerbaijan. Along with this, cooperation is also successfully developing in the agro-industrial sphere, in the textile industry and logistics. Both countries are interested in the effective use of transit potential through Trans-Caspian route projects, as well as in connecting transport strategies.

The volume of bilateral trade turnover at the end of 2024 exceeded $250 million. At the same time, the parties are striving for its multiple increase in the coming years. The free trade regime established between the countries and the current Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation, the last meeting of which took place in June of this year in Baku, are intended to serve this purpose.

In recent years, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have been paying special attention to the development of interregional ties. In February 2023, the first Forum of Regions “Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan” was held in Tashkent, following which memorandums of cooperation were signed between the cities of Samarkand and Ganja, Khiva and Shusha, Bukhara and Lenkoran, Kokand and Sheki. In May 2024, the second Forum of Regions was held in the Azerbaijani city of Guba, and partnerships were established between the cities of Namangan and Mingachevir, Gulistan and Fizuli, Termez and Bilasuvar. In addition, within the framework of the business forum in Tashkent in August 2024, protocols were signed on the establishment of sister-city relations between the cities of Jizzakh and Guba, Shakhrisabz and Beylagan.

In June 2025, the third Forum of Regions was organized in the city of Baku.

In order to finance the most promising projects in the territory of the two countries in In 2023, a joint Uzbek-Azerbaijani investment company was created with an authorized capital of $500 million. The creation of these structures reflects a high degree of economic integration and mutual interest of Tashkent and Baku in fully realizing the existing potential of trade, economic and investment cooperation. This is also evidenced by numerous events - exhibitions, business forums, mutual visits of business missions.

So, on August 22, 2024, on the eve of the state visit of the President of Azerbaijan, an Uzbek-Azerbaijani business forum was held in the city of Tashkent. As a result, a solid package of bilateral documents was signed in the areas of infrastructure development and city construction, the creation of new logistics centers, educational institutions, and representative offices of industry associations in partner countries.

Azerbaijan is a fraternal country with which, both in ancient and modern history, Uzbekistan has always had a close relationship and maintained friendly relations. Spiritual and cultural closeness serves as a powerful foundation for the development of cultural and humanitarian interaction.

The heritage of prominent Uzbek and Azerbaijani classics - Alisher Navoi, Mirzo Ulugbek, Nizami Ganjavi, Nasireddin Tusi and Muhammad Fizuli is the heritage of not only the Turkic-speaking peoples, but also of all humanity. Their work is highly revered by the peoples of our countries, as evidenced by the monument erected in Baku to Alisher Navoi, and in Tashkent - to Nizami Ganjavi and Heydar Aliyev, the name of the State Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan after Nizami Ganjavi, and the village of Alisher Navoi in Azerbaijan.

Another sign of strong friendship between the Uzbek and The Azerbaijani peoples became the construction in 2023 in the city of Fuzuli, on the initiative of the leader of our country, of a modern school named after Mirzo Ulugbek, designed for 960 students.

The educational initiatives of the heads of the two states, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Ilham Aliyev, contribute to the deepening of humanitarian cooperation, the two countries have more and more new joint projects, and exchanges take place on a regular basis delegations.

Contacts between the two countries in the field of culture are intensively developing. Exchanges of delegations, including high-level ones, take place on a regular basis.

Creative teams of the two countries are constant participants in regularly held cross Days of Culture and Literature, cinema and creative weeks, tours and art exhibitions.

Thus, Azerbaijani delegations led by the Minister of Culture took part in the International Forum of Makk Art in 2018 and 2024, the First International Festival of Folk and Applied Arts in 2019 and the International Cultural Forum “Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations” in 2021.

In turn, the Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan Ozodbek Nazarbekov visited Azerbaijan to participate in the opening ceremony of the events “Shusha - cultural capital of the Turkic world 2023", VI Baku World Forum of Intercultural Dialogue and the opening of the year "Shusha - the cultural capital of the Islamic world 2024" in 2024.

In April-May 2023, a number of cultural and educational events were held in Uzbekistan dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the national leader Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. They were organized in cooperation with the Association of Azerbaijani Cultural Centers in Uzbekistan.

By the way, today the Azerbaijani diaspora in Uzbekistan numbers about 40 thousand people, and all of them make a worthy contribution to strengthening friendship between our peoples. This contribution is highly appreciated by the leadership of the two states. Thus, in recognition of their services in strengthening intercultural ties, Azerbaijani artists receive high state awards from Uzbekistan. Thus, by decree of the President of Uzbekistan, the vocalist of the Azerbaijan State Musical Theater named after Rashid Behbudov, Gulyanak Mamedova, was awarded the honorary title “People’s Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan” in 2022, and in 2024, the famous Azerbaijani cultural figure Polad Bulbulogly was awarded the title “People’s Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan.” A number of socio-political figures of Azerbaijan have been awarded the Order of Dustlik.

In turn, by order of the President of Azerbaijan, the soloist of the state institution "Uzbekconcert" Nasiba Abdullayeva was awarded the honorary title "People's Artist of the Azerbaijan Republic", the Order of Dostluk was awarded to the artistic director of the ensemble "Makom" named after Y. Rajabi Khoshimjon Ismoilov, the rector of the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan Kamoliddin Urinboev, member of the Union of Writers of Uzbekistan Ali Nasirli.

The Azerbaijani folk group “Shirvan” won the Grand Prix of the IV International Bakhshi Art Festival, which was held in April this year in the city of Khiva.

Cooperation is also developing in the fields of education, science and healthcare. Universities of the two countries exchange students and scientific personnel, joint research projects are being implemented.

On May 27-28, 2025, the first forum of university rectors of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan was held in Andijan, in which more than 130 delegations led by rectors of 50 universities of the two countries took part.

In a word, today Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are at a qualitatively new level of development of interaction and continue to create the basis for expanding allied relations.

In this context, the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan, as well as participation in the ECO summit, will undoubtedly become important events that strengthen the positions of both countries as influential actors in their regions. These events serve as clear confirmation that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan not only maintain strong fraternal ties, but also consistently develop strategic partnership - both at the bilateral level and within the framework of international and regional organizations.

IA “Dunyo”