Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Today, the 6th Business Forum of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is being held in the city of Shusha, Azerbaijan, as part of the 17th ECO Summit. The forum is being held under the theme “Promoting Investment and Trade — A Driver of Sustainable Development in the ECO Region.”

The forum is attended by a delegation from Uzbekistan's business community, led by Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Davron Vakhabov.

Also participating in the event are President of the Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Niyaz Alizade, Chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Trade and Investment Tawakkal Ahmadyar, First Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tajikistan Nasimjon Anvarov, First Vice President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey Ali Kopuz, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Mamasadyk Bakirov, Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Aun Ali Said, and Chief of Staff of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan Asan Zhakishev.

The Economic Cooperation Organization was founded in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. Since 1992, its membership has expanded to include the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Uzbekistan. ECO’s mission is to promote sustainable economic growth, trade integration, and investment cooperation among member states. The organization supports projects in areas such as trade, transport, energy, tourism, agriculture, environment, health, and education.

In his address, Davron Vakhabov outlined Uzbekistan’s foreign economic policy priorities, deepening regional integration, and ongoing economic reforms. He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among ECO member states.

By the end of 2024, Uzbekistan’s total trade volume with ECO countries exceeded US$11 billion, with exports amounting to US$5.56 billion and imports totaling US$5.48 billion.

The forum also features B2B and B2G meetings where participants are discussing promising projects and new avenues of business cooperation.

The Shusha forum has become a significant platform for enhancing economic collaboration and expanding the presence of Uzbek businesses in regional markets.