Uzbekistan and Serbia Discuss Expanding Cooperation in Rail and Aviation Sectors

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 18 February, an Uzbek delegation held talks in Belgrade with senior government officials and representatives of Serbia’s transport companies, according to Dunyo news agency.

The Uzbek delegation was led by Ambassador Oybek Shakhavdinov and Hikmatulla Rakhmetov, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSC “Uzbekistan Railways.”

The Serbian side was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Aleksandra Sofronijević, Director of Serbian Railways Infrastructure Zoran Evtic, and CEO of Air Serbia Jiří Marek.

The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in railway infrastructure and developing aviation links between the two countries.

The Serbian delegation provided detailed information on its large-scale railway modernization program, including high-speed rail development and integration into European transport corridors. Both sides emphasized mutual interest in moving toward practical cooperation formats and developing concrete mechanisms for Uzbekistan’s participation in infrastructure projects.

Special attention was given to establishing direct air services between Belgrade and Tashkent, as well as expanding collaboration between the two countries’ airlines, including potential partnership models.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their interest in deepening practical dialogue, developing direct contacts between relevant agencies, and progressively implementing joint initiatives. The participants expressed their readiness to maintain active working contacts and give Uzbekistan-Serbia cooperation a concrete and results-oriented character.