On November 13, 2025, the first meeting of the Council of Ministers of Trade and Investment of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan was held in Tashkent.
The event was aimed at strengthening practical cooperation between the countries of the region in the areas of trade, investment, and industrial cooperation, as well as implementing joint initiatives to increase mutual trade and create cooperative production facilities.
Particular attention was paid to the creation of working tools to increase trade turnover between the countries of the region to $20 billion, the formation of joint production sites under the “Made in Central Asia” brand, as well as the involvement of international financial institutions and large investors in the implementation of joint infrastructure and industrial projects.
It was noted that mutual trade between Uzbekistan and the countries of Central Asia is showing steady positive dynamics. While trade turnover amounted to $3.2 billion in 2017, by 2024 it had more than doubled, reaching $6.9 billion. In particular, trade turnover with Kazakhstan is approaching $4 billion, with Kyrgyzstan — $700 million, with Tajikistan — exceeding $570 million, and with Turkmenistan — more than doubling over the past five years to $1.15 billion. Trade with Azerbaijan has also shown significant growth, up 13% since the beginning of the year.
During the meeting, the need for further optimization of customs and border procedures, synchronization of transport and logistics infrastructure, and the creation of industrial hubs capable of uniting the production chains of the countries in the region was also emphasized. Particular attention was paid to issues of industrial cooperation, joint development of raw material and technological potential, and the development of exports of finished products with high added value.
Following the meeting, a joint communiqué was signed, setting out key agreements on deepening economic cooperation, developing cooperation and joint production, and creating new mechanisms for investment interaction.
