“We also had an in-depth discussion on the transport and logistics sector, taking into account both current capacities and future projects that will lead to the creation of a more extensive and diversified transport infrastructure in Central Asia, with a route across the Caspian to Azerbaijan and further westward,” the head of state noted, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.
“We agreed to continue coordinating our projects not only bilaterally, to ensure our infrastructures are prepared to handle large volumes of cargo, but also multilaterally – to engage in regular dialogue and joint work on transport policy coordination with neighboring countries,” President Ilham Aliyev added.
The head of state emphasized that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have been official allies for about a year.
“Today marks a significant day in the history of relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The state visit of the President of Uzbekistan is taking place, as it should, in an atmosphere of brotherhood and mutual understanding,” he said,
“Today, both during our one-on-one meeting and at the Interstate Council session, we discussed a broad range of issues concerning bilateral cooperation and once again reaffirmed the strategic, allied nature of our relations. Last year in Tashkent, we signed the Treaty on Allied Relations, the highest and most significant document in relations between any countries. We have officially been allies for about a year now, and we demonstrate this through active cooperation on the international stage, mutual support, and the concrete plans and projects we are implementing across many sectors,” the head of state noted.
The president said Azerbaijan genuinely welcomes growing international image of Uzbekistan.
“We are watching with great interest and joy the rapid development of Uzbekistan and the implementation of large-scale reforms across all areas. We are pleased to see Uzbekistan’s image on the international stage rising year by year, its economic potential growing, and many social issues being successfully addressed,” he said.
“All of this is the result of the well-thought-out policy of the President and leadership of Uzbekistan. It is reflected in concrete programs. As friends and brothers, we are sincerely pleased by this,” the Azerbaijani leader added.
President Ilham Aliyev also noted that Azerbaijan describes investment in Uzbekistan as priority.
“For Azerbaijan, investing in Uzbekistan is a priority. Firstly, because Uzbekistan is a friendly, brotherly country. Secondly, thanks to the well-considered reforms implemented by the President of Uzbekistan, a very favorable investment climate has been established,” the head of state said.
The Azerbaijani president emphasized that it is no coincidence Uzbekistan is now a highly attractive destination for investment.
“Today, we once again confirmed our intention to significantly increase both trade turnover and mutual investments. The joint investment fund established some time ago is already practically filled with projects. Today, it was reported that more than 10 projects are at the stage of final investment decisions. Of course, we see this as only the beginning, as the authorized capital of the investment fund is $500 million. Our plans exceed this figure several times over, and I am confident that the joint implementation of projects in energy, the hotel industry, construction, agriculture, and other areas - projects that already have clear prospects, agreements, and signed contracts - will lead to substantial growth in mutual investments. This fully reflects our shared intention and is in complete harmony with the spirit and nature of the brotherly relations between our countries,” he added.
