Uzbekistan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Uzbekistan and Turkey Deepen Strategic Partnership

On 6 June, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a Joint Declaration in Ankara on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. During the third meeting of the Uzbek-Turkish High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, chaired by the presidents, Mirziyoyev emphasized that the establishment of the Strategic Cooperation Council “opened a new page in the history of Uzbek-Turkish relations and gave a powerful impetus to the further development of partnership in all areas.” It was stated that in recent years, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Turkey has increased 1.5-fold, the number of joint ventures has doubled, and Turkish investments in the Uzbek economy has grown 2.5-fold. Ninety flights operate weekly between the countries’ major cities and the number of Turkish tourists in Uzbekistan has tripled. The two countries now aim to increase the volume of bilateral trade turnover to five billion dollars in the shortest possible time. Leading Turkish companies as Cengiz Holding, Aksa Energy, Çalık Holding, Akay Inşaat, Anadolu Group, Özgüven, and Eczacıbaşı Holding are currently implementing over 100 projects in Uzbekistan and during President Mirziyoyev’s visit, a portfolio of new investment projects worth $10 billion was formed. The agenda focused on strengthening industrial cooperation, deepening the localization of production of goods with high added value, and joint entry into the markets of third countries. Emphasis was also placed on the need to reduce customs tariffs within the framework of the Agreement on Preferential Trade and on the introduction of a trade mission of Uzbekistan in Istanbul. The importance of cooperation in increasing the transport and logistics potential of the two countries, including effective harnessing of opportunities of the Middle Corridor, was discussed. In recognition of his role in their countries’ allegiance, President Erdogan awarded President Mirziyoyev with the Order of the Republic; the highest state order awarded to foreign nationals by the President of Turkey. Thanking the president, Mirziyoyev announced: “It is a great honor for me to receive such a high award from the Republic of Turkey on the day of signing the Declaration on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries. This award is a symbol of thousands of years of fraternal ties between our peoples, confidential dialogue at the highest level, as well as rapidly developing multifaceted bilateral relations.”

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China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Railway Project to Begin

On 6 June, an intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was signed in Beijing. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic infrastructure project designed to create a new land transport corridor between Central and East Asia. The agreement, which marks an important step in progressing the project, lists principles and mechanisms for cooperation between the three countries concerning financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of the railway. In accordance with the agreement, the railway will run through Kashgar (China) – Torugart – Makmal – Jalalabad (Kyrgyzstan) – Andijan (Uzbekistan), with a modern transit and logistics infrastructure, warehouses and terminals created along the route. Once completed, the railway will transport an annual cargo of 15 million tons, and reduce time taken for delivery to consumers by 7 days. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the event via a video link. Kyrgyz President Japarov described the agreement as “a historical event marking the long-awaited start of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project - which will - open new transportation routes to European countries and the Persian Gulf." Uzbek President Mirziyoyev likewise remarked on the historical significance of the signing, and stated, “This railway will become the shortest land link connecting China with our region. In the future, it will allow access through the promising Trans-Afghan corridor to the capacious markets of the countries of South Asia and the Middle East.” Chinese President Xi emphasized that the railway is a strategic project of connectivity between China and Central Asia and a landmark in the three countries' cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. According to the Chinese leader, China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on the launch of the project as early as possible, to boost the regions’ economic and social development .

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Central Asian Public Opinion is the Latest Battle Front Between Putin and Zelenskiy

The settings were starkly different. An Uzbek honor guard in elaborate uniform greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin after he arrived at Uzbekistan’s Tashkent airport on May 26 for a state visit. Two days earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gave an interview to Central Asian media in his signature army-green combat-ready t-shirt, sitting in the ruins of a Kharkiv printing house destroyed by Russian missiles. With the war in Ukraine into its third year, Putin’s trip to Uzbekistan represents part of his broader mission to nurture long-standing trade and security ties with Central Asian countries, who have been trying to walk a delicate line in their relationships with Russia. Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev welcomed Putin with a literal embrace. Their official meeting the next day was scheduled to address bilateral issues and views on “current regional problems,” reported Russia’s state-run news agency Tass. While in Uzbekistan President Putin had boasted that Russia was Uzbekistan’s biggest trading partner with export growth by 23% this year and had invested over $13 billion in the country. He called Uzbekistan to be the biggest state in Central Asia; praised Mirziyoyev’s language policy that protects Russian language in schools and as an official language in Uzbekistan. Russia has started exporting gas to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan, with some of the gas staying in Kazakhstan. Some analysts argue that Russia can circumvent sanctions by partly relying on imports, mainly from Europe, that come through Central Asia. Over in the war-torn Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, President Zelenskiy’s interview with six journalists from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, some openly affiliated with Radio Free Europe and the Soros Foundation, included a discussion on how to deepen solidarity between the people of Central Asia and Ukraine over a shared anti-Russian sentiment. Zelenskiy tells Central Asians to drop their balancing act towards Russia In the interview, President Zelenskiy challenged Central Asian countries to overcome their economic dependencies and security vulnerabilities and adopt Ukraine’s hardline posture against Russia. The region’s leaders “are still [positioned] more in the Russian direction because of fear of the Kremlin. We [the Ukrainians] have made our choice, we are fighting,” Zelenskiy said, according to a Russian transcript of the interview published by Kazakh media outlet Orda.kz. Zelenskiy told Central Asians and others who are “trying to balance” their relationships with Russia to "not wake the beast" that this strategy will not work because “the beast does not ask anyone: he wakes up when he wants”. Zelenskiy warned Central Asian people that alongside the Baltic states and Moldova, they, too, face a risk of being invaded by Russia given their Russian populations, which the Kremlin may decide to intervene to protect, as it did in Ukraine. He also added grimly, “if you, your people, resist becoming part of Russia, you will inevitably be waiting for a full-scale invasion, death and war.” Calling on the world to unite against Russia, President Zelenskiy recommended that Central Asians isolate Russia economically and diplomatically, arguing that “balancing acts” to help their economy in the...

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Uzbekistan-EU Trade Reaches 5.13 billion Euros

In 2023, the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the European Union increased by 11% to 5.13 billion euros. As reported by EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Charlotte Adrian, exports from the EU to the Republic of Uzbekistan amounted to 4.35 billion euros, and imports from Uzbekistan to the EU, 780 million euros. By way of comparison, she then stated that in 2022, EU exports to Uzbekistan reached 3.77 billion euros, an increase of 63.9%, and imports from Uzbekistan to the EU rose by 77.1% to 845 million euros, resulting in around 70% growth of trade turnover. “Behind these figures," announced Adrian, " are stories of how our businesses have made bold decisions to invest in Uzbekistan.” This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and the European Union and on behalf of the EU, the ambassador praised Uzbekistan's “ambitious path of reforms" and pledged: “We will continue to assist Uzbekistan using all the instruments at our disposal, including the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). We will also continue to support Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization or EPCA (European Petrochemical Association), which will open a new chapter of our partnership." She added that by following its the path of reforms, Uzbekistan will create a level playing field which she hoped would encourage more interest from European companies.

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Two Uzbek Universities Enter the QS World Rankings

The higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds has published its latest annual table of the world’s best universities -- the QS World University Rankings 2025. For the first time in the ratings' history, two Uzbek universities — the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME) National Research University (547th place) and the Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan (781st place) — were included in the ranking. Under the QS "academic reputation" indicator, TIIAME National Research University is among the top 300 universities in the world. The National University of Uzbekistan has produced renowned scientists who have made significant contributions to the advancement of global science. The Times of Central Asia has previously written about Botir Kobilov, who received a doctoral degree from Harvard Business School. Damir Musayev, another Uzbek, defended his doctoral thesis in genetics at Yale University in the United States and received his Doctor of Science degree.

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Foreign Investment in Central Asia is Following Demographic Trends

The population growth in Central Asia, combined with worsening demographic situations across the rest of the post-Soviet space, means a gradual shift in power and investment toward the regional powers of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Thanks to their growing markets – unlike Belarus and Russia, where the population is slowly declining, and especially Ukraine – Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are starting large projects with the participation of foreign investors. In particular, Russia is showing increased interest in Central Asia, with the US and the EU also keen to engage financially. Recently, Kazakhstani political scientist Marat Shibutov noted on social media that politicians have realized the benefits of investing in countries with major population growth. He argued that power dynamics across the post-Soviet space are changing in line with that. Shibutov quoted an article that he co-authored with Yuri Solozobov in May 2019: “according to statistics, in 1991 there were 20 million people in Uzbekistan and 51 million in Ukraine. Now, there are officially 32.6 million in Uzbekistan (experts say about 34 million) and 42 million in Ukraine (the real figure is unknown). But soon, everything is set to change dramatically. In fact, in 2-5 years, Uzbekistan will equal or surpass Ukraine in population – this will be a turning point in the post-Soviet space. First and foremost, Uzbekistan's investment and trade position will improve, especially in the consumer goods segment. Considering the nuclear power plant project being implemented with the help of Russia and the Ustyurt oil and gas fields, Uzbekistan will become a more promising country for foreign investors than Ukraine, whose development will be entirely about defense spending and internal political issues.” Due to the war that started in 2022, Shibutov’s forecast has materialized even faster. According to UN estimates, Ukraine's population this year is barely 37 million. No one has accurate data since the last census in this country was carried out in 2001. As of 2023, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine put the figure even lower than the UN, at 36 million. Thus, after Russia (with a population of over 140 million), Uzbekistan is likely the second most populous country of the former USSR. In Kazakhstan the population is growing even faster than in Uzbekistan. Russian and Kazakh businesses are implementing 135 projects worth $26.5 billion. Additionally, 67 joint projects worth $14 billion are being planned across key economic industries, including machine building, metallurgy, and chemicals. They are expected to create 11,000 jobs. According to Russian ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexei Borodavkin, there are more than 18,000 enterprises with Russian capital in Kazakhstan and about 4,000 joint ventures with Kazakh partners. Overall, Russia and Kazakhstan have investments totaling $33.5 billion across 143 projects. In November last year, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the countries’ ministries of energy to build three thermal power plants (TPP) in Kazakhstan – Kokshetau TPP, Semey TPP, and Ust-Kamenogorsk TPP. The combined capacity of the new coal-fired facilities will be about 1 GW (Kokshetau TPP 240 MW, Semey TPP 360 MW,...