President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Uzbekistan carries significance that extends far beyond another round of bilateral political dialogue. Its results point to the further consolidation of a qualitatively new model of relations in which the historical and cultural affinity between the two nations is reinforced by legal commitments, institutional mechanisms, economic projects and a shared vision of regional development.
In August 2024, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan signed the Treaty on Allied Relations in Tashkent, formally elevating bilateral ties to a fundamentally new level. The latest visit continued this process, marking the transition from an alliance to eternal friendship and establishing a political and legal framework for cooperation for decades to come.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are no longer merely two brotherly countries united by common historical, cultural and spiritual roots. Their relations are increasingly based on specific agreements, coordinated road maps, permanent interstate institutions, investment mechanisms and joint projects. This distinguishes the current stage from previous periods, when the closeness between the two countries was largely reflected in political rhetoric and cultural and humanitarian contacts.
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The relationship is developing according to a consistent formula: brotherhood, strategic partnership, alliance and eternal friendship. Each new element does not replace the previous one but complements it with practical political and economic substance. Brotherhood provides a strong social foundation, strategic partnership defines shared interests, allied relations require coordinated action, and eternal friendship gives this cooperation a long-term character intended to endure across generations.
The Treaty on Eternal Friendship can be viewed as a document reflecting the highest level of political trust between the two states. Its significance goes beyond its symbolic title. Amid growing international instability, intensifying competition among major powers and the transformation of Eurasia’s transport and economic architecture, such an agreement becomes an important factor of predictability.
Source: AZERTAC
The parties are demonstrating their readiness to consider each other’s security interests, coordinate their positions on major issues and avoid actions that could harm their partner. The treaty therefore creates a stable political environment for the implementation of long-term projects requiring firm guarantees of continuity and mutual trust.
The Supreme Interstate Council has become a central mechanism for institutionalising bilateral relations. Its activities make it possible to move cooperation beyond individual visits and agreements between separate government agencies. The council determines long-term priorities, coordinates the implementation of decisions and ensures regular oversight of joint programmes.
This is particularly important given the expanding bilateral agenda. Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan now covers trade, investment, industry, transport, energy, the digital economy, agriculture, education, culture, tourism and sport. Without a unified coordination mechanism, such a broad range of activities could remain fragmented. The Supreme Interstate Council is therefore intended to transform numerous initiatives into a coherent long-term strategy.
The political will of the two countries’ leaders plays a decisive role in this process. The extensive reforms pursued by President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have strengthened the economic potential of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, enhanced their international standing and expanded their ability to conduct more independent regional policies.
A high level of personal trust has developed between the two leaders. More importantly, however, this trust is gradually being translated into durable state institutions. Personal understandings are reinforced by agreements, monitoring mechanisms, investment funds and sectoral programmes. This reduces the relationship’s dependence on short-term political circumstances and helps ensure its continuity.
Trade remains one of the main indicators of the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation. The two sides have set a target of increasing annual trade turnover to $1 billion by 2030. In 2025, trade amounted to approximately $795 million, more than tripling compared with the previous year. In January–May 2026, bilateral trade reached $144 million, representing an increase of 33 per cent.
These figures suggest that the $1 billion target is realistic. Achieving it, however, will require more than simply increasing the supply of traditional goods. The countries need to diversify trade, develop joint production chains, remove logistical and administrative barriers, and promote direct contacts between their business communities.
The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company, with capital of $500 million, is especially important in this context. Its principal value lies in its ability to turn political declarations into financed and operational projects. It can serve as an instrument for supporting joint ventures in industry, agriculture, logistics, construction, energy and advanced technologies.
If managed effectively, this mechanism can not only mobilise capital but also reduce risks for companies entering a new market. Priority should be given to projects that create added value and combine the production capabilities of the two countries. In the longer term, this would allow Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to move beyond bilateral trade and establish joint production facilities targeting third-country markets.
Interregional cooperation adds another dimension to the relationship. Partnerships between cities and regions, including arrangements involving Urgench, Khankendi, Nakhchivan, Bukhara and Lachin, broaden the number of participants in bilateral engagement. Economic and humanitarian contacts are no longer concentrated exclusively in the two capitals but are acquiring a stronger regional foundation.
Uzbekistan’s contribution to the reconstruction of Karabakh carries both symbolic and practical importance. Uzbekistan was among the first countries to offer tangible support for the reconstruction process in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories. This is viewed not merely as an economic or humanitarian contribution but also as a demonstration of allied solidarity.
At the same time, the significance of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan cooperation cannot be confined to a bilateral framework. It is becoming one of the central elements of the emerging connection between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. The two regions, which were long regarded as separate geopolitical spaces, are drawing increasingly closer through the development of Trans-Caspian transport routes, trade, energy cooperation and digital connectivity.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan occupy a particularly important position in this process. Azerbaijan provides access across the Caspian Sea and through the South Caucasus and Türkiye towards Europe. Uzbekistan, with its large population, industrial potential and central position in Central Asia, is interested in diversifying its export and transit routes. The convergence of these interests makes the two countries natural partners in the development of the Middle Corridor.
Cooperation along the Trans-Caspian route could transform Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan from conventional transit states into key participants in a new economic and logistics system connecting Asia and Europe. This will require the coordination of tariffs, customs procedures and digital standards, as well as the expansion of port capacity, rail infrastructure, shipping capabilities and logistics services.
If cargo continues to face delays due to uncoordinated procedures or insufficient transport capacity, the corridor’s geographical advantages will not be fully realised. At the next stage, therefore, the principal measure of success will not be the number of political statements but the speed, reliability and cost of cargo transportation.
Coordination in energy, the digital economy and green technologies also appears promising. The Middle Corridor is gradually evolving from a transport route into a broader infrastructure platform encompassing energy transmission, digital communications and investment cooperation. This process could alter the region’s trade and economic landscape and improve the resilience of participating countries amid instability affecting traditional routes.
The growing partnership between Baku and Tashkent also provides additional momentum to the Organization of Turkic States. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are well placed to give practical substance to cooperation within the organisation through projects ranging from transport and investment to education, culture and youth exchanges. The more tangible results the two countries achieve bilaterally, the more effectively these initiatives can be extended to the multilateral level.
Source: AZERTAC
The humanitarian dimension deserves separate attention. Meetings between the first ladies, cultural events, and cooperation in education, science, tourism and sport complement the presidents’ political dialogue with elements of soft power. Their importance lies in ensuring that bilateral relations receive support not only from government institutions but also from the two societies.
The joint organisation of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2027 could become a prominent example of such cooperation. A major international sporting event would allow the two countries to demonstrate their organisational capabilities, strengthen tourism links and expand direct contact between their citizens.
At the next stage, the main task will be to ensure the practical implementation of the political and legal framework that has already been established. Priorities include increasing trade turnover to $1 billion, expanding mutual investment, establishing joint industrial enterprises, enhancing the capacity of the Middle Corridor, developing energy and green projects, and deepening cooperation in the digital economy and innovation.
Expanding ties in education, science, culture and tourism, as well as further strengthening cooperation between cities and regions, will be no less important. It is precisely the combination of shared economic interests and humanitarian affinity that can make the relationship genuinely sustainable.
The latest visit has therefore consolidated Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations at a new level. The formula “from alliance to eternal friendship” reflects not only political rhetoric but also the construction of a long-term system of cooperation. It is founded on trust between the leaders, institutional mechanisms, investment instruments, transport projects and the close ties between the two nations.
The deepening of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan is simultaneously bringing the economic spaces on the two shores of the Caspian Sea closer together. Its significance therefore extends beyond the bilateral agenda. It represents the emergence of a new Central Asia–South Caucasus axis that could become an important component of a broader system of Eurasian connectivity in the years ahead.
