Tashkent, August 23, AZERTAC

On August 23, the third meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

A short film on friendship, trade, and investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan was screened at the start of the meeting.

Following the screening, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a speech, stating:

— Dear Ilham Heydarovich, my dear brother, esteemed participants of the meeting. I once again extend my sincere welcome to you and the delegation of brotherly Azerbaijan to Tashkent. Welcome to Uzbekistan.

Your visit is a meeting of spiritually close countries bound together by a shared history, cultural affinity, and mutual respect. Today, we are opening the third session of the Supreme Interstate Council. The effective functioning of this mechanism is the clearest demonstration of the highest level of allied relations between our countries.

Before turning to the items on the agenda, dear Ilham Heydarovich, I would like to congratulate you on the successful implementation of the far-sighted and comprehensive reform agenda you are pursuing in Azerbaijan. As brothers and allies, we sincerely rejoice at the dynamic and sustainable development of Azerbaijan’s economy, as well as the creation of new sectors and modern infrastructure. All of this is contributing to a steady rise in the well-being of the Azerbaijani people. The sovereign policy you pursue with determination serves to strengthen the country’s international standing and advance the agenda of peace and development in the South Caucasus.

We regard the historic meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the United States in Washington last August, along with the signing of the Joint Declaration, as a remarkable success of your personal diplomacy. I congratulate you once again and wish you continued great success.

Esteemed meeting participants,

We have elevated our bilateral relations to a truly historic peak. This is demonstrated by the signing of the historic Treaty on Eternal Friendship following the summit.

Most importantly, the provisions of our strategic partnership and alliance are being translated into concrete, tangible results. Over the past five years, the volume of bilateral trade has increased threefold, while the total portfolio of joint projects has exceeded USD 5 billion. And this is by no means the limit. In preparation for this visit, meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission, the Business Council, and the Forum of Regions were successfully held, resulting in breakthrough initiatives for the implementation of joint projects and programs. Now, the primary task of the governments, ministries, and agencies of both countries is to ensure their effective implementation. Every time we hold a meeting of the Interstate Council, Ilham Heydarovich and I always tell you that we will keep these matters under close supervision.

I would like to briefly highlight the priority areas of our comprehensive cooperation.

First, it is essential to continue close coordination between our foreign ministries to promote our shared interests on regional and international platforms. We have also agreed to give fresh impetus to cooperation between our parliaments, governments, ministries, agencies, and regions.

Second, as I just mentioned, our immediate target is to reach $1 billion in bilateral trade. The basis for this will be the program we adopted today, which outlines concrete measures to achieve this key targets.

Third, we attach particular importance to deepening industrial cooperation. The business communities of our countries are successfully implementing a range of projects in geology, energy, chemicals, finance, construction, agriculture, and other fields. At this meeting, we will launch new projects. To support these initiatives, we must actively draw funds from the joint investment company. Ilham Heydarovich and I agreed that we should swiftly utilize USD 500 million in capital and subsequently expand this fund, as we have accumulated valuable joint experience in directing its resources effectively. At today’s meeting, we will hear from the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Commission about detailed plans for expanding trade and deepening cooperation.

Fourth, important tasks lie ahead for our transport ministers. As part of the development of the Middle Corridor, we must accelerate the launch of a joint fleet in the Caspian Sea. Furthermore, we are interested in establishing a dedicated Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan corridor in the Caspian Sea with a single operator.

Fifth, our alliance is rooted in centuries of shared history and the affinity between the cultural values of our two brotherly nations. It is our duty to carefully preserve and further promote this rich heritage, as well as to regularly organize reciprocal Days of Culture at an appropriate scale. Moreover, these events should be held not only in the capitals but also in the regions of our countries as well. Today, we will jointly open the new building of the National Pedagogical University named after Nizami Ganjavi and launch the construction of the “Azerbaijan” Park in New Tashkent.

To further strengthen the bonds between our peoples, we propose producing joint films and establishing a literary bridge between Nizami Ganjavi and Alisher Navoi. This would provide a wonderful opportunity to deepen mutual understanding between our peoples and serve as an inspiring example for younger generations. We should create a series of such films.

We support holding the second forum of the leading universities of our two countries in Azerbaijan this fall. Next year, our countries will jointly host a major sporting event—the FIFA U-20 World Cup. In this regard, we should prepare a large-scale program titled “Two Countries—One Championship,” bringing together sports, cultural and youth events leading up to the tournament. We also propose establishing the Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan Sports Games, where young people can compete not only in sports arenas but also in intellectual disciplines. Ilham Heydarovich, it would be wonderful if we entrusted this task to our teams.

Esteemed meeting participants,

Our countries support regional integration and the strengthening of cooperation. It is gratifying that Tashkent and Baku are playing leading roles in interregional integration. Azerbaijan’s accession to the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia has opened new horizons for expanding economic and humanitarian cooperation between our two regions. Through joint efforts, we are effectively shaping a new geoeconomic reality—a unified, self-sufficient macro-region with significant potential for joint development.

Today, we will also discuss other areas of our multifaceted Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan partnership. You should know that we have reviewed every area in detail. Ilham Heydarovich and I are firmly committed to implementing major and impactful projects across these areas.

Ilham Heydarovich, it is my pleasure to give the floor to you.

x x x

Expressing his gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the invitation to visit brotherly Uzbekistan, the hospitality extended, the warm attitude toward Azerbaijan and its people, as well as his personal contribution to the development of bilateral relations, President Ilham Aliyev noted that the video presentation screened before the meeting provided a professional overview of the projects currently under way, pointing out that some of them have already been implemented while others will be implemented.

“The most important point is that we have a concrete agenda for strengthening our cooperation. I am confident that as the projects already identified are implemented, new projects will emerge, and more time will be needed for such a video presentation. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised by this presentation, as it reflects the main areas that bring us together today.”

Hailing the friendly relations between the two countries and Uzbekistan’s achievements, President Ilham Aliyev said: “First of all, I would like to congratulate you, dear Shavkat Miromonovich, and all our brothers in Uzbekistan on the great success achieved in developing the country and strengthening its potential, both in the socio-economic sphere and on the international stage. Today, Uzbekistan is a country with considerable international standing. This is above all your achievement. You work tirelessly, doing everything possible to develop the country and strengthen its potential, including by enhancing Uzbekistan’s role in the international arena. As you rightly noted, we always support each other in the bilateral format and across all international organizations in which we participate. This happens automatically.”

The head of state also expressed his appreciation for Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s positive assessment of developments in the South Caucasus, stating that, with peace established in the South Caucasus, the region can finally breathe a sigh of relief and benefit from peaceful development.

Touching upon the potential of the Joint Investment Fund, the President of Azerbaijan said: “I have been informed that of the USD 500 million, approximately USD 160 million has already been allocated. Naturally, I believe we will utilize these funds in the near future and identify new avenues of cooperation. I must also mention that Azerbaijan has similar cooperation mechanisms with various countries. However, I would say that the most efficient and results-oriented investment fund is the Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan Investment Fund. Yet, the investment needs of the projects we have planned and already contracted significantly exceed the capacity of the fund. It was mentioned in this presentation that an investment of USD 5 billion is planned for Uzbekistan’s tourism sector alone. Furthermore, the projects being implemented in Tashkent—hotel complexes and residential complexes—fall outside the scope of this Investment Fund. Therefore, looking at the overall investment portfolio, we see that it is considerably larger than the USD 500 million we initially set.”

Expressing his gratitude for the support provided in the process of restoring Garabagh, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Uzbekistan and its head of state were the first country and the first head of state to provide practical assistance to the liberated territories. “The school named after Mirzo Ulugbek has now admitted almost all the students it can accommodate. The school has a capacity of nearly 1,000 students, and according to the latest data, several hundred students are already studying there; the school also serves as a symbol of our friendship and brotherhood. In addition, we visited the garment factory in Khankendi together, which was established by our Uzbek friends in record time. We also met with the staff there. Naturally, creating jobs in Garabagh—especially for women—is of paramount importance at present. Once again, the first investment project aimed at establishing a modern production facility and creating over 200 jobs is being implemented by the Uzbek side. I am deeply grateful to you for this,” the President of Azerbaijan emphasized.

Noting that Uzbekistan’s experience in the automotive industry is being shared with Azerbaijan, the head of state noted that while the initial project has already been implemented, full-cycle production is now under way. An investment of over USD 80 million is planned in Hajigabul, where a second plant is under construction. The plant will provide a major impetus to Azerbaijan’s automotive industry.

Emphasizing that agricultural development projects are also being successfully implemented, President Ilham Aliyev said: “We already have tangible results in the transport and transit sectors. I have been informed that the volume of cargo transported from Uzbekistan through Azerbaijan is increasing. We also need to accelerate the construction of a ferry for Uzbekistan. Shavkat Miromonovich and I have discussed this matter. The matter has been resolved; we simply need to include this project on our priority list. Currently, our shipyard is simultaneously constructing around ten vessels of different types—ferries, tankers, and dry-cargo ships. The shipyard is currently operating at full capacity, so I believe this is the most suitable place to build the ferry.”

Touching upon transport-sector projects, the head of state noted that active efforts were under way to advance the Zangezur Corridor. Emphasizing that this project would be completed in mainland Azerbaijan next year, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that relevant work has also begun in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Noting that the approach is to regard the Nakhchivan railway as an integral part of Azerbaijan’s railway network, the head of state stressed that plans were being developed to establish an international consortium involving interested companies and countries interested in investing, generating returns, and securing sufficient freight volumes along this route.

“For your information, I would like to note that work is also under way in Armenia; our American partners regularly keep us informed of developments. According to the information we receive, construction in Armenia will begin either at the end of this year or early next year. However, the distance there is only 42 kilometers, whereas in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic it is 194 kilometers. That is why we started the work, and we will complete it regardless. But since we know that various companies are interested, I just wanted to inform you that if there is sufficient interest, there is an opportunity to participate in the proposed consortium,” the head of state added.

It was also noted that Azerbaijan is fully reconstructing and modernizing the approximately 400-kilometer section of the existing railway line from Baku to the Armenian border. The Nakhchivan section of the line spans approximately 200 kilometers. This will become an important branch of the Middle Corridor.

Emphasizing the special role of the President of Uzbekistan in facilitating Azerbaijan’s full participation in the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, the head of state highlighted the symbolic significance of the decision adopted at the Tashkent meeting and expressed his gratitude. President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan approaches its cooperation with the countries of Central Asia with a strong sense of responsibility and enthusiasm.