Baku: The volume of cargo transported through Azerbaijan belonging to Central Asian countries has increased by 90% over the past three years, Javlon Vakhabov, Director of the International Institute for Central Asia, said during a panel discussion at the international conference titled 'C6: One Region, Shared Future - Strengthening Strategic Dialogue' held in Baku, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Vakhabov highlighted that the bilateral trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan has shown stable and positive dynamics over the past five years. This growth in trade volume is seen as a catalyst for forming a new geoeconomic configuration linking Central Asia and the South Caucasus. The cooperation between the two regions is driven by economic and geographical factors, presenting new opportunities for regional integration.

Vakhabov further noted that relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are developing comprehensively. In 2024, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan signed a Treaty on Allied Relations, marking Azerbaijan as the first country in the South Caucasus with which Uzbekistan has established relations at the highest level, achieving allied status. Azerbaijan ranks third among Uzbekistan's allied partners, following Russia and Kazakhstan. Consequently, the bilateral trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan saw a significant increase of 90% last year.