Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has proposed expanding economic cooperation among Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan through joint production chains, cross-border investment projects and a comprehensive regional trade and economic cooperation programme through 2035.
Mirziyoyev outlined the initiatives on 8 October 2026 at the Eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone in Turkmenistan.
The proposals build on efforts pursued through previous consultative meetings, which have focused on removing trade barriers and expanding mutual trade before moving towards industrial cooperation, investment mechanisms and joint value chains.
Over the past decade, trade among the five Central Asian countries more than doubled, rising from US$5.5 billion in 2016 to US$12.3 billion in 2025.
Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with countries in the region increased from US$2.4 billion in 2016 to US$8.3 billion in 2025, an approximately 3.5-fold rise.
These figures indicate growing economic interdependence, with trade increasingly complemented by investment, joint businesses and industrial cooperation. The next step, according to the article’s author, is to deepen production and technological links across the region.
A central proposal is the formula “six economies — one product”, which aims to combine the competitive advantages of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan within a single production chain.
The approach is intended not to isolate the regional market but to strengthen its integration into global value chains.
The proposal comes amid intensifying international competition for investment, technology and production capacity. Combining demand, resources and industrial capabilities could increase the scale of projects, improve their investment appeal and lay the groundwork for cross-border value chains.
Mirziyoyev also proposed a Comprehensive Regional Programme for Trade and Economic Cooperation through 2035 as a practical instrument for implementing this model.
The programme continues a series of initiatives launched in previous years, beginning with industrial localisation and cooperation proposals in 2022, followed by a Unified Regional Industrialisation Map in 2024 and the development of a common investment space in 2025. At the Avaza meeting, this approach was extended to focus on jointly manufactured final products and mechanisms for supporting projects throughout their development.
Further growth opportunities remain, particularly through removing barriers, expanding industrial cooperation and making fuller use of the region’s production capacity.
To strengthen direct business ties, Mirziyoyev proposed holding a Central Asia and Azerbaijan business forum in the ancient city of Khiva in 2027. The forum would aim to translate intergovernmental agreements into direct company partnerships and concrete industrial cooperation projects.
The proposed event would provide a platform for businesses to establish partnerships, develop new production facilities and launch projects serving both regional demand and external markets.
Another initiative is a Platform for Financial and Technical Support of Joint Investment Projects. The proposed mechanism would help bridge the gap between investment ideas and implementation by providing project preparation, expert assessment, financial structuring and ongoing support.
The initiatives point towards a more developed model of regional cooperation in which geographical proximity becomes an economic advantage, national resources and expertise complement one another, and joint projects generate added value while strengthening the region’s position in global production chains.
The article was written by Bekzod Normatov, a leading researcher at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan.
