Ilham Aliyev plans to pay a state visit to Uzbekistan

Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, is preparing for a state visit to Uzbekistan. The exact date of his trip has not yet been announced.

Aliyev outlined his plans in an interview with UzA. He noted that this will be his third state visit to Uzbekistan in the past five years and his seventh overall. He stated that regular contacts between the leaders of the two countries have contributed to the transition of relations to the level of an alliance.

"Interstate relations have risen to the highest level – the level of an alliance," Aliyev stated.

He reported that over the past five years, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have made 15 mutual high-level visits. In August 2024, Aliyev already paid a state visit to Uzbekistan, and in July 2025, Shavkat Mirziyoyev made a return state visit to Azerbaijan.

According to Aliyev, the upcoming trip is intended to promote the further development of bilateral cooperation. In the interview, he specifically highlighted areas such as trade, investment, energy, transport, culture, and education.

Specifically, the President of Azerbaijan reported that trade turnover between the countries more than tripled in 2025, reaching $795 million. From January to May 2026, this figure increased by another 33% compared to the same period last year.

Aliyev also noted prospects for cooperation in transport, including the integration of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with the Middle Corridor and TRIPP. He specifically spoke about Azerbaijan's participation in the C6 format, which was formed after Baku joined the consultative meetings of the heads of state of Central Asia.

The President of Azerbaijan also mentioned joint projects in Uzbekistan, including the construction of The Ritz-Carlton complex in Tashkent and the Sea Breeze Uzbekistan tourism project in the Tashkent region.

Concluding the interview, Aliyev congratulated the people of Uzbekistan on the upcoming 35th anniversary of independence and wished the country peace, prosperity, and new achievements.

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan plan to increase trade turnover to $1 billion.