SAMARKAND: Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have taken a significant step toward bolstering their bilateral relations by signing 33 agreements aimed at enhancing interregional cooperation. The agreements, signed during the Uzbek-Kazakh Interregional Forum in Samarkand, focus on increasing direct interaction, implementing joint projects, and boosting mutual supplies of finished products between the two countries.

According to Trend News Agency, the forum was attended by Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade, and Arman Shakkaliev, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, who led delegations comprising representatives from various ministries, regional administrations, and over 200 major companies from both nations. The agreements emphasize the importance of developing partnership ties at the interregional level, with a particular focus on promising sectors such as agriculture, the agro-industrial sector, textile products, and consumer goods. The exchange of experience and tec
hnology was also highlighted as a key area of cooperation.

The forum also provided a platform for entrepreneurs from both countries to explore new opportunities, particularly those linked to the upcoming International Center for Industrial Cooperation “Central Asia,” set to operate in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya region. The economic relationship between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has seen significant growth over the past seven years, with trade turnover doubling from $2 billion to $4.4 billion in 2023. From January through September 2024, trade turnover reached $3 billion. In Uzbekistan, approximately 1,100 enterprises with Kazakh capital are actively engaged in sectors like food and textile processing and construction materials.