
A high-level international conference titled “Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Europe: Cooperation for Common Development” is being held in the city of Tashkent.
Organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), and supported the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), the Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the event gathered former heads of states, foreign ministers, and representatives of European Union institutions.
Addressing the conference, Bakhromjon Sotivoldiyev, ISRS Head of Department, said that the conference is focused on discussing key areas of cooperation between Tashkent, Baku, and Brussels.
Noting that none of the Central Asian countries have direct access to the sea, Bakhromjon Sotivoldiyev added: “Therefore, it is essential to diversify routes and opt for short, optimal corridors to deliver goods to seaports. Based on this logic, Uzbekistan actively utilizes Azerbaijan’s transit capabilities, creating a passage toward the Caucasus region and subsequently to the European market via the Black Sea.”
According to the ISRS Head of Department, Azerbaijan supports these efforts and creates broad opportunities to utilize its infrastructure and transport capabilities.
The prestigious event serves as a platform for meaningful dialogue between Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Europe. It also reflects the active and constructive course of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy in recent years under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The event participants underlined that in recent years the formats of interaction between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan had steadily expanded, with a growing number of joint projects in the fields of economy, transport, and humanitarian cooperation.