Belarus to Welcome 5,000 Additional Workers From Uzbekistan

Belarus to Accept 5,000 More Workers from Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has revealed plans to bring in an additional 5,000 workers from Uzbekistan through a structured labor recruitment initiative. This announcement was made on July 14, 2026, during a working visit to the Vitebsk Region, where discussions focused on labor migration and agricultural collaboration.

Lukashenko indicated that an initial group of 250 Uzbek nationals has already arrived in the Vitebsk Region and has been assigned to their respective jobs. Beginning in September 2026, the region aims to accept 500 more workers each month until the total reaches 5,000.

The Belarusian leader highlighted that Uzbek workers will be employed not only in agriculture but also in construction, industry, the service sector, and as junior medical personnel. He assured that all participants in the program would receive adequate living and working conditions.

Lukashenko stressed that the incoming workers and their families would have equal access to social infrastructure as Belarusian citizens. He mentioned that children would be able to enroll in kindergartens and schools under the same terms as local children, and new housing would be built without any national discrimination.

Additionally, the Belarusian government proposed to extend the organized labor recruitment program to the southeastern areas of the Mogilev Region. Authorities have been tasked with assessing the region's workforce needs across various specialties.

Beyond labor migration, Belarus and Uzbekistan are looking to enhance their cooperation in the agro-industrial sector. Agreements have been made to transfer ten cattle fattening facilities across seven districts in the Vitebsk Region, along with 8,000 hectares of agricultural land, to Uzbekistan. The products produced will be sent to Uzbekistan.

Moreover, Uzbek partners will be allocated 2,000 hectares in the Beshenkovichi District for potato farming. Belarus will supply seed materials, technology, specialists, and storage facilities. The two nations are also exploring projects to establish a woodworking enterprise funded by Uzbek investments, initiate fuel pellet production, create a construction trust with Uzbek specialists, open a trading house for Uzbek products, and set up a restaurant featuring Uzbek cuisine along with a tourist base.

During a meeting with Shukhratbek Abdurakhmanov, the Hokim of Andijan Region, Lukashenko expressed Belarus's intention to foster cooperation with Uzbekistan "in a brotherly manner" and to collaboratively execute projects, particularly in agricultural processing.

On July 13, 2026, the first organized group of 255 individuals from the Andijan Region arrived in Belarus for temporary employment in agriculture and animal husbandry. This initiative is being carried out under a trilateral agreement involving the Hokimiyat of Andijan Region, the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan, and the Committee on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Region.

The organized labor recruitment program was made feasible following the signing of an agreement between Uzbekistan and Belarus on July 9, 2026, during the state visit of Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Minsk. This document outlines the process for recruiting Uzbek citizens for temporary work in Belarus.

During the discussions, Lukashenko also encouraged Uzbek citizens to move for work along with their families, citing a labor shortage in Belarus.