Uzbekistan to Accede to Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan is set to officially formalize its participation in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). The signing ceremony will take place during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for July in Manila, Philippines. The nations of the region approved Tashkent's accession following nearly a year of preparatory work and bilateral diplomatic consultations.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan, Karomidin Gadoev, stated that the republic's leadership attaches strategic importance to this step, as it will open a new chapter in interactions with all ASEAN members. Speaking in Kuala Lumpur at the opening of the international tourism exhibition HUITM Umra Plus 2026, the diplomat emphasized that the treaty will lay a solid legal foundation for large-scale economic partnerships in industry, agriculture, tourism, services, and the banking sector. Furthermore, it will help transform general agreements into a concrete portfolio of practical investment projects.

The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, originally signed in 1976, serves as the foundational code for interstate relations in Southeast Asia. The document regulates principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. By the beginning of 2026, 58 states worldwide had already acceded to the agreement.

In the regional economic context, Malaysia serves as the key bridging link between Uzbekistan and Southeast Asia. To date, around 50 joint ventures involving Malaysian capital have been established in Uzbekistan, alongside the implementation of over 40 projects in high-tech and raw material sectors, including agricultural processing, oil and gas, petrochemicals, energy, and the electronics and electrical engineering industries. Additionally, the parties are actively negotiating the attraction of direct investments from Malaysia into Uzbekistan's tourism infrastructure, specifically for the construction of modern hotel complexes and golf clubs.