Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan: a strategic partnership and alliance aimed at the future

Azerbaijan is a close friend and a time-tested reliable strategic partner of Uzbekistan. Diplomatic relations between the two countries 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 and alliance. The personal and especially trusting relations between the leaders of the two countries give the relations a warm and trusting character.

With the signing of historical documents - the Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership and Building Up Comprehensive Cooperation in 2022 and the Treaty on Allied Relations in 2024, a completely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 high-level meetings serve as the driving force for the development of interaction, setting a high pace in all areas of cooperation. Landmark 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 and economic, transport, energy and cultural and humanitarian spheres.

The head of our state also took part in various multilateral forums in Azerbaijan - the 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 the 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 to Uzbekistan, during which he took part in the fourth Tashkent International Investment Forum.

Political interaction between the two states is based on the principles of open and constructive dialogue. Regular consultations between the foreign ministries, active cooperation within the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Joint Territory of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the OIC, the 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 fruitfully cooperates with other countries within the association. Expanding trade, economic and investment ties, increasing competitiveness in the global market, deepening production cooperation with foreign partners, developing, effectively using and creating 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 participant in the ECO, puts forward 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 framework of 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 have taken place at the highest and high levels. This is clearly demonstrated by the inter-parliamentary dialogue, which is an important link in strengthening bilateral cooperation and sustainable substantive interstate exchange. Friendship groups operating in the parliaments of the two countries contribute to strengthening trust, political coordination and developing joint approaches to the implementation of large-scale initiatives.

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

On the eve of the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan, the First Uzbek-Azerbaijani Inter-Parliamentary Forum was held in the city of Khiva under the chairmanship of the heads of parliaments of the two countries.

Dynamics of mutual visits and bilateral meetings of parliamentary delegations of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on the platforms of international events indicates the high interest of the parties in strengthening 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 striving 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 promotes the strengthening of mutually beneficial investment, trade and 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, jewelry production, food industry, light industry, and others, make an important contribution to the economic development of Uzbekistan.

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

The volume of bilateral trade turnover by the end of 2024 exceeded $ 250 million. At the same time, the parties strive to increase it several times in the coming years. This is intended to serve the free trade regime established between the countries and the current Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation, the last meeting of which was held in June this year in Baku.

In recent years, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have paid special attention to the development of interregional relations. 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 Lankaran, 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, the Joint Uzbek-Azerbaijani Investment Company with an authorized capital of 500 million dollars was established in 2023. The creation of these structures reflects the high degree of economic integration and mutual interest of Tashkent and Baku in the full implementation of the existing potential of trade, economic and investment cooperation. This is also evidenced by numerous events - exhibitions, business forums, mutual visits of business missions.

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

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

The legacy of prominent Uzbek and Azerbaijani classics - Alisher Navoi, Mirzo Ulugbek, Nizami Ganjavi, Nasireddin Tusi and Muhammad Fizuli are the property of not only the Turkic-speaking peoples, but also of all mankind. Their work is highly revered by the peoples of our countries, as evidenced by the monument to Alisher Navoi erected in Baku, and to Nizami Ganjavi and Heydar Aliyev in Tashkent, 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 Azerbaijani peoples was the construction in 2023 in the city of Fizuli, on the initiative of the leader of our country, of a modern school named after Mirzo Ulugbek, designed y 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 delegations are exchanged on a regular basis.

Contacts between the two countries in the field of culture are developing intensively. Delegations are exchanged on a regular basis, including high-level ones.

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

Thus, Azerbaijani delegations headed by the Minister of Culture took part in the International Makom Art Forum in 2018 and 2024, the First International Festival of Folk 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 - the cultural capital of the Turkic world 2023", the 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 dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev were held in Uzbekistan. 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 the friendship between our peoples. This contribution is highly appreciated by the leadership of the two states. Thus, in recognition of their merits in strengthening intercultural ties, Azerbaijani artists receive high state awards of Uzbekistan. Thus, by the 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 of "People's Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan" in 2022, and in 2024, the famous Azerbaijani cultural figure Polad Bulbuloglu was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan". A number of public and political figures of Azerbaijan were awarded the "Dustlik" Order.

In turn, by the order of the President of Azerbaijan, the soloist of the state institution "Uzbekconcert" Nasiba Abdullayeva was awarded the honorary title of "People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan", the artistic director of the ensemble "Makom" named after Y. Rajabi Hoshimjon Ismoilov, the rector of the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan Kamoliddin Urinboev, and a member of the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan Ali Nasirli were awarded the "Dostluk" Order. The Azerbaijani folklore 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 research personnel, and joint research projects are being implemented.

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

In short, today Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are at a qualitatively new level of development of interaction and continue to create a 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 a clear confirmation that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan not only maintain strong fraternal ties, but also consistently develop a strategic partnership - both at the bilateral level and within the framework of international and regional organizations.

Dunyo News Agency