“Azerbaijan’s relations with Central Asian countries are successfully developing in new directions. Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations are a clear example of this. The relations between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, based on mutual trust, friendship, and brotherhood, are one of the main factors determining the development of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan ties. Our head of state Ilham Aliyev specifically noted these realities in his interview with the National Information Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA). “The sincere friendship, mutual respect, and trust existing between me and the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, my dear brother, esteemed Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev, play a special role in strengthening Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan brotherhood, raising interstate relations to the current level, and developing our alliance. President Mirziyoyev’s tireless and resolute activity for brotherhood, unity, and alliance between our countries has earned him deep respect and sympathy in Azerbaijan,” said Mr. Ilham Aliyev, adding that the political dialogue between our states is at a very high level. In the last five years, 15 regular mutual visits and close contacts at the highest level create favorable conditions for the dynamic development and strengthening of these relations.
Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations are based on common history, culture, language and spiritual values, unity, solidarity, and deep mutual sympathy that our peoples have maintained for centuries, passing it from generation to generation. Interstate relations built on this solid foundation have risen to the level of alliance in recent years. In his interview, President Ilham Aliyev, referring to the state visit to Uzbekistan in August 2024 and the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan in July 2025, noted that “the numerous documents signed during these visits, especially the “Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership” and the “Agreement on Alliance Relations,” officially strengthened the alliance between two independent, strong, and sovereign states. These documents further strengthened the legal and political foundations of relations between our countries and opened new opportunities for the future development of our cooperation.”
Modern.az reports that these views were expressed by Malik Hasanov, a member of the Milli Majlis.
The MP noted that one of the main directions determining the potential of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations is transport and logistics cooperation: “Our head of state Ilham Aliyev, emphasizing the priority of the economic factor in the development of relations between our countries in his interview, stressed that today our political relations are further enriched by large-scale cooperation measures in the fields of economy, investment, industry, transport, logistics, energy, agriculture, education, science, culture, and humanitarian affairs. The projects implemented not only combine the economic potential of our countries but also further strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between our peoples.
Economic and trade cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan is noteworthy for its development dynamics. In the interview, these statistics were disclosed: the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan increased more than threefold in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 795 million dollars. In January-May 2026, trade turnover increased by 33 percent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, reaching 144 million dollars. Our cooperation in the energy sector is actively developing. The joint venture “Neftegaztekhnologiya,” established on the basis of Uzbekistan’s OZLITINEFTGAZ institute and “SOCAR NIPI Nefteqaz,” has been successfully operating in the oil and gas sector since 2016. “Turan Energy AFEZCO,” a joint venture between SOCAR and “Uzbekneftegaz” JSC, established in 2024, carries out the export of high-pressure polyethylene produced by “Azerikimya” Production Union to Uzbekistan. Our cooperation in the field of green energy also continues. In 2025, “Green Corridor Union” Limited Liability Company was established in Baku by the relevant energy departments of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. This joint venture was created to coordinate the implementation of the Azerbaijan-Central Asia green energy corridor project, the export of renewable energy, and its transportation possibilities across the bottom of the Caspian Sea.”
Malik Hasanov also emphasized that cultural and humanitarian cooperation based on common roots, linguistic and cultural proximity, and spiritual values formed over centuries is an important area of relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan: “Cooperation carried out in this area makes a significant contribution to strengthening mutual understanding, trust, friendship, and brotherhood between our peoples, enriching humanitarian ties with new content. Mr. Ilham Aliyev stated in his interview that thanks to the mutual efforts of our peoples and the joint support of our states, cultural and humanitarian ties have successfully developed in recent years. Jointly held culture days, art festivals, scientific conferences, literary publications, and educational programs play a special role in strengthening the cultural and humanitarian agenda between the two countries. In 2023 and 2025, Azerbaijan hosted Uzbekistan Culture Days, and in 2024, Uzbekistan hosted Azerbaijan Culture Days. The Uzbekistan National Pedagogical University, one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in our brotherly country, bears the name of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi.
Last year, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, together with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, laid the foundation of “Uzbekistan” Park in the center of Baku, which will become another symbol of our brotherhood. We should also specifically note that the initiatives and projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation are also of great importance in expanding cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries.”
The MP stated that contacts between the regions of the two countries have also intensified, and fraternal ties have been established: “Baku-Tashkent, Ismayilli-Rishtan, Shusha-Khiva, Lankaran-Bukhara, Shaki-Kokand, Bilasuvar-Termez, Mingachevir-Namangan, Fuzuli-Gulistan, Guba-Jizzakh, and Beylagan-Shakhrisabz cities have become sister cities. Also, a decision has been made to establish sister city relations between Urgench and Nakhchivan, Urgench and Khankendi, Bukhara and Lachin. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, in the aforementioned interview, once again drew attention to these points that further strengthen Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan cooperation, stating that today, sister city initiatives between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, which are important platforms for cooperation that bring our peoples closer, preserve common historical, cultural, and spiritual values, and strengthen friendship and mutual trust among future generations, are particularly significant. Cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan is not only an important area of bilateral relations but also a forward-looking strategic humanitarian bridge that preserves our common values, rich cultural heritage, and fraternal ties between our peoples.”
Malik Hasanov summarized that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan cooperate effectively not only on bilateral but also on multilateral platforms: “Their contributions to the development of political dialogue, economic ties, transport and logistics opportunities, and cooperation in education, science, and cultural-humanitarian fields within the Organization of Turkic States serve to further deepen relations among Turkic states. The initiatives implemented by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in the direction of preserving and promoting the common Turkic heritage are of unparalleled importance in terms of passing on this great spiritual heritage to future generations. President Ilham Aliyev stated in his interview that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan value the Organization of Turkic States not only as a platform for interstate cooperation but also as an important union that carries our common history, culture, and spiritual values into the future. The active cooperation of our countries within the Organization of Turkic States, as well as other Turkic organizations, will continue to contribute to the closer integration of the Turkic world and the strengthening of its unified position in the international arena.”
