TASHKENT, August 22. /Dunyo IA/. The IV Forum of Regions of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan has opened in Tashkent, bringing together around 420 companies, regional leaders, representatives of relevant government agencies, development institutions and business communities from the two countries, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event is attended by Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov and Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov.

It was noted that, thanks to the political will and trust between the leaders of the two countries, the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan is consistently being filled with concrete economic content.

The forum, being held on the eve of the state visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Uzbekistan, gives the event particular significance.

Over the past decade, trade turnover between the countries has increased 26-fold, reaching $795 million in 2025. Around 260 enterprises with Azerbaijani capital operate in Uzbekistan, while more than 130 enterprises with Uzbek capital operate in Azerbaijan. The total portfolio of investment and trade projects has exceeded $10 billion.

One of the key areas for further expanding cooperation has been identified as interregional interaction. Ahead of the forum, the heads of Uzbekistan’s regions visited Azerbaijan, where they held talks with representatives of regions and businesses and discussed new joint initiatives.

Particular attention is being paid to the development of industry and deep processing of raw materials, the agro-industrial complex, the textile sector, tourism, development, trade and logistics. In industry, the focus is on creating complete value-added chains, localizing production and implementing new investment projects.

Promising areas in the agro-industrial sector include horticulture, deep processing of agricultural products, food production and the development of modern cold-storage infrastructure. In the textile sector, the sides intend to expand production ties and use Azerbaijan’s transport and logistics capabilities and the Middle Corridor to access European markets.

In tourism and development, ongoing hotel, tourism and urban development projects are creating a foundation for establishing new routes, developing resort infrastructure and promoting comprehensive territorial development.

The practical part of the forum continued with B2B and G2B meetings, during which representatives of regions, government agencies and businesses discussed specific projects and further steps for their implementation. Following the event, it was proposed to develop joint action plans for 2026–2027.