Uzbekistan-Qatar: a strategic partnership looking to the future

On November 3, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, arrived in Qatar on a working visit to participate in the Second World Summit on Social Development.

Over the years of independence, Uzbekistan and Qatar have gone from establishing diplomatic relations to forming a comprehensive strategic partnership based on trust, mutual respect and common interests in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres.

Qatar recognized the independence of Uzbekistan on December 30, 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on November 27 1997. In recent years, the intensity of contacts at the highest and highest levels has increased significantly. A landmark event was the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement in April 2024 in Tashkent, which consolidated a new level of interaction between the countries. The document reflects the priorities for further expansion of cooperation in the field of investment, energy, transport, education and culture.

In June and December 2023, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, visited Uzbekistan, and in October of the same year, a return state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Doha. These meetings marked a new stage in the development of bilateral interaction and gave relations between Tashkent and Doha a strategic direction.

The high-level dialogue continued within the framework of major international forums, such as the summits of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, the Central Asia - Gulf Cooperation Council summit, as well as other global events.

Evidence of increased cooperation was the opening of the Qatar Embassy in Tashkent in May 2023 and the Uzbekistan Embassy in Doha in December of the same year. These steps marked the transition of relations to a qualitatively new level of political and diplomatic presence.

The visit of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, to Uzbekistan, which took place in April 2024, was of particular importance in the political dialogue. During the visit, the head of the Qatari government was received by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, where a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation were discussed - from strengthening political dialogue and expanding investment interaction to partnership in the fields of energy, transport, education and culture.

During his stay in Tashkent, Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani also held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov. During the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in further deepening cooperation between the foreign ministries, including in the format of regular political consultations.

In turn, in March and October 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov visited Qatar on working visits, during which he held meetings with the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdurrahman Al-Thani, as well as with the heads of the Qatar Investment Agency and large companies in this country. At the meetings, issues of expanding economic ties, participation of Qatari capital in joint projects, as well as prospects for cooperation in the transport and logistics sector were discussed.

Particular attention is paid to the development of trade and economic ties. In 2024, the volume of mutual trade amounted to 7.7 million US dollars, of which exports - 2.2 million, imports - 5.5 million. In January-August 2025, trade turnover increased by 28 percent, exceeding $7 million. The leading positions in exports are occupied by food products, copper pipes and services, in imports - chemical products and lubricants.

An important step was the holding of the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, held in Doha on November 11–12, 2024. Also in June 2024, the first flight of Qatar Airways took place on the Doha-Tashkent-Doha route, which opened up new opportunities for business and tourist exchanges.

Humanitarian and cultural cooperation is also actively developing. During the pandemic, Qatari charitable foundations provided free assistance to Uzbekistan in the amount of about 400 thousand dollars. In recent years, weeks of culture and crafts, exhibitions and concerts have been regularly held. In 2024, the Week of Culture, Crafts and Tourism of Uzbekistan was held in Doha, and the Qatar Culture Week was held in Tashkent, the opening of which was attended by the Minister of Culture of Qatar, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Cooperation in the field of education is of particular importance. In September 2024, an agreement was signed in Qatar on the training of Afghan women on the basis of the Termez Educational Center with the financial support of Qatar.

Thus, political dialogue, economic partnership and humanitarian ties between Tashkent and Doha demonstrate stable dynamics. The consistent implementation of the agreements reached allows us to talk about the transition of bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level - the level of strategic interaction focused on the long term and regional stability.

In this context, the upcoming visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Qatar and his participation in the Second World Summit on Social Development will, without a doubt, become a logical continuation of the consistent foreign policy of Uzbekistan, focused on developing mutual understanding and trust with the countries of the Middle East, and will also open new prospects for comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation between Tashkent and Doha for the benefit of sustainable development and prosperity of two peoples.

IA “Dunyo”