Ilham Aliyev called Central Asia and Azerbaijan a single geopolitical region

Ilham Aliyev: Central Asia and Azerbaijan form a single geopolitical region

On August 23 in Tashkent, following talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Central Asia and Azerbaijan now constitute a single geopolitical and geo-economic region.

Aliyev noted the significant changes that have taken place in Uzbekistan in recent years. "Today we see a completely different Uzbekistan. This is an Uzbekistan that enjoys great respect from the international community, where issues of industrial, agricultural, energy, and transport infrastructure development are addressed promptly and effectively," he emphasized.

The Azerbaijani leader emphasized that the economic base established in Uzbekistan has become the foundation for the implementation of joint projects. "Without this foundation, this potential, it would have been impossible to implement a single joint project. In fact, before Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office in Uzbekistan, there were no joint projects between our countries," Aliyev added.

According to Aliyev, the goal of increasing mutual trade turnover to $1 billion no longer seems like a distant prospect. "Today, we are talking about the goal of $1 billion in trade turnover not as some distant dream, but as a result that we will likely achieve in a few years," the Azerbaijani President stated.

Aliyev also discussed in detail the expansion of Azerbaijan's cooperation with the countries of Central Asia. "Today, Central Asia and Azerbaijan are a single geopolitical and geo-economic region, possessing great potential and, at the same time, even greater opportunities for development," he emphasized.

In his opinion, the positive development dynamics of this "newly created and already fairly integrated region" largely depend on close cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani President noted that the countries are already actively cooperating in virtually all key areas: energy, transport, investment, tourism, mining, the automotive industry, agriculture, and processing.

As a reminder, Azerbaijan joined the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia in November 2025.

Among the new areas of cooperation, Aliyev particularly highlighted the banking and oil and gas sectors. "I also forgot to mention our cooperation in banking, the entry of a leading Azerbaijani bank into the Uzbek market, and SOCAR's entry into the Uzbek retail market," he said.

According to the Azerbaijani President, the two countries' oil and gas projects have also entered the practical stage. "As for oil and gas exploration projects, we are already, in principle, in the final stages and very much hope to begin drilling production wells next year. I hope that after that, exploratory drilling and geological exploration will yield good results," Aliyev stated.

Aliyev also noted the development of joint projects not only in the capitals, Tashkent and Baku, but also in the regions of both countries. He recalled Uzbekistan's construction of a 960-student Mirzo Ulugbek school in Fuzuli and investments in a garment factory in Khankendi. "If we add to this the investment fund, which is already one-third funded by projects, investment projects in Azerbaijan's tourism infrastructure and the automotive industry, then this represents billions in investment," Aliyev stated.

He emphasized that investments are typically directed to friendly countries with a favorable investment climate. "Shavkat Miromonovich's great merit lies in the fact that, thanks to his reforms, perseverance, and wisdom, he created an investment climate that allowed both international financial institutions and global players to see Uzbekistan as a country at a successful stage of its development," Ilham Aliyev said.

Concluding his statement, the Azerbaijani president invited Shavkat Mirziyoyev to pay a state visit to Azerbaijan at his convenience.