Mirziyoyev, Kobakhidze Discuss Expansion of Cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze held negotiations in a narrow format and with the participation of official delegations from the two countries. The main focus was on further expanding bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, investment, transport, transit, tourism, and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that this state visit to Georgia, the first in over two decades, is of particular importance in bringing Uzbek-Georgian relations to a qualitatively new level.

The parties noted with satisfaction the intensification of contacts at all levels and spoke in favor of continuing intergovernmental, interparliamentary, business, and humanitarian interaction.

During the negotiations, it was noted that by the end of last year, trade turnover between the two countries reached US$270 million, and since the beginning of the current year, it has exceeded US$100 million. The parties agreed to develop a separate roadmap aimed at increasing mutual trade to US$1 billion in the coming years, eliminating trade imbalances, expanding mutual supplies of products, and holding joint industrial exhibitions.

Special attention was paid to the development of transport and transit cooperation. Measures were discussed for the more active use of the infrastructure of the ports of Poti and Batumi for the transportation of Uzbek goods. Plans to create a logistics hub with an industrial zone and a showroom for Uzbek products were supported.

The President of Uzbekistan also welcomed the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway corridor and proposed working on its connection with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway currently under construction.

Industrial cooperation was designated as a separate priority. The results of the Uzbek-Georgian business forum were highly praised, following which a Cooperation Program until 2027 was signed. Agreements were reached on implementing new joint projects in the agricultural sector, energy, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, the food and light industries, the production of building materials, development, digitalization, the IT sector, digital banking, and tourism. To support promising initiatives, it was proposed to create a joint Investment Fund.

The parties also noted the expansion of cultural-humanitarian cooperation. In particular, a positive assessment was given to the holding of Days of Georgian Culture in Tashkent. The President of Uzbekistan thanked the Georgian side for the decision to name one of the parks in Tbilisi after the Uzbek poet Ali-Shir Nava'i.

Furthermore, an agreement was reached to hold joint educational and tourism forums in Uzbekistan this year. It was also decided to establish an embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Georgia.

Following the negotiations, the parties agreed to prepare a joint roadmap for the implementation of the reached agreements.