Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan continue to strengthen their economic partnership, shifting the focus from political declarations to concrete mechanisms for expanding trade and investment. This was the key message from a meeting held in Tashkent between the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, Beibut Atamkulov, and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, DKNews.kz reports.
The talks centered on the practical implementation of agreements reached during the recent state visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan, with both sides emphasizing the importance of turning high-level decisions into measurable economic results.
From agreements to execution
A major part of the discussion focused on the schedule of joint activities for the current year. This includes contacts at the highest and high levels, as well as planned meetings of intergovernmental and sectoral cooperation mechanisms.
Particular emphasis was placed on monitoring the implementation of previously reached agreements. The sides stressed that consistent follow-up and control are now crucial for maintaining the positive momentum in bilateral relations.
Trade and investment at the core
The meeting covered a broad range of issues on the bilateral trade and economic agenda. The parties reviewed the current state of mutual trade, assessed its growth potential, and discussed practical measures to stimulate mutual investments.
Special attention was given to improving the investment climate and creating conditions that encourage businesses from both countries to expand cooperation and launch joint projects.
The $10 billion target by 2030
A separate and detailed discussion was devoted to the Joint Program aimed at increasing bilateral trade turnover to $10 billion by 2030. The parties examined the progress of this initiative, including the implementation of specific projects and the use of support mechanisms designed to strengthen trade and economic ties.
In this context, the development of the International Center for Industrial Cooperation “Central Asia” was discussed as an important platform for launching joint production initiatives. The activity of the joint trading company UzKazTrade was also highlighted as one of the key tools for promoting mutual trade.
Reducing barriers to boost trade
The sides exchanged views on the mutual recognition of conformity assessment procedures. They emphasized that removing technical barriers and harmonizing regulatory approaches are essential steps toward further expanding trade volumes.
Such measures are expected to simplify market access, reduce costs for businesses, and accelerate cross-border trade flows.
Regions and business dialogue
Organizational issues related to holding the first meeting of the Council of Regional Leaders and the upcoming session of the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan Business Council were also discussed. Both sides noted that stronger regional and business-to-business cooperation would provide an additional boost to bilateral economic relations.
Trade growth in numbers
The latest trade statistics underline the growing depth of economic ties between the two countries. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade, bilateral trade reached $4.97 billion in 2025, representing an 11 percent increase compared to 2024.
Kazakhstan’s exports to Uzbekistan amounted to $3.43 billion, while imports reached $1.54 billion. For comparison, mutual trade stood at approximately $4.1 billion in 2023 and increased to around $4.5 billion in 2024.
Why this matters
The steady growth in trade volumes suggests that the $10 billion target by 2030 is becoming increasingly realistic. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are building an economic partnership based on cooperation, joint projects and the gradual removal of barriers, rather than competition.
This approach not only strengthens bilateral relations, but also contributes to deeper economic integration across Central Asia, positioning the region as a more connected and resilient economic space.
