Baku: Over the past several decades, relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have progressed from traditional diplomatic ties to a strategic partnership and alliance. Historical and cultural affinity, mutual political confidence, and the rapid expansion of economic and transport connectivity have brought bilateral relations into a new phase. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's state visit to Uzbekistan marks a significant political milestone, setting the course for the next stage of bilateral cooperation,' Giyosbek Uskanboev, an Uzbek international relations researcher, said in an interview with AZERTAC.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan established diplomatic relations on October 2, 1995, building ties on strong historical, cultural, and economic foundations. Relations were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2022 and to an alliance in 2024 with the signing of the Agreement on Allied Relations. The Supreme Interstate Council has further strengthened institutional cooperation, with its second meeting in Baku in July 2025 focusing, among other issues, on increasing bilateral trade to US$1 billion.
The expert highlighted the strong momentum in Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan economic relations, noting that over the past decade, bilateral trade has increased 26-fold, reaching US$795 million in 2025. 'Currently, around 260 Azerbaijani-invested companies operate in Uzbekistan, while more than 130 Uzbek-invested enterprises operate in Azerbaijan. The combined value of bilateral trade and investment projects exceeds US$10 billion, underscoring the scale of economic cooperation. The participation of nearly 420 companies in the 4th Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum in Tashkent further demonstrated the growing business interest in bilateral cooperation,' he emphasized.
The expert identified transport and logistics as a strategic area of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan cooperation, noting Azerbaijan's role as a key link between Central Asia and Europe. He identified the Middle Corridor as a major avenue for cooperation, with Uzbekistan's transit volumes increasing by 25% to over 1 million tons in 2025. The introduction of an electronic permit system has also helped improve transport efficiency, he added.
'Azerbaijan has enhanced Uzbekistan's access to Western markets through the Baku International Sea Trade Port, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and the transport infrastructure established across the Caspian Sea. In 2024, the volume of transit cargo between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan surpassed 1.3 million tons, marking an increase of more than 18 percent compared with 2023. This development should not be considered solely a bilateral transport initiative; it is part of the formation of an increasingly integrated geoeconomic space between Central Asia and the South Caucasus,' he stressed.
The expert said that linking the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the Trans-Afghan Corridor with the Middle Corridor could strengthen Central Asia's role in global logistics and expand alternative transport routes. He added that Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan cooperation now covers trade, investment, transport, energy, culture, and multilateral cooperation, with the two countries' strategic geographic positions offering significant potential for deeper regional connectivity.
Uskanboev stressed that the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan alliance could extend beyond bilateral ties, driving deeper Central Asia-South Caucasus integration, stronger economic links across the Turkic world, and the emergence of a new geoeconomic space in Eurasia. He noted that continued progress in transport and connectivity could make the alliance a key pillar of the region's emerging connectivity architecture.