Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan emerging as key regional partners – OPINION

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Uzbekistan and the third meeting of the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Supreme Interstate Council demonstrate that this institution has become one of the key mechanisms for systematically defining the strategic directions of relations, Azerbaijani MP Parvana Valiyeva told Report.

She noted that this year the political alliance between the two countries is already accompanied by concrete economic results:

"In the new phase, Azerbaijani capital's presence in Uzbekistan is particularly noteworthy. Projects by Azerbaijani companies are being implemented in various fields such as banking, construction, urban planning, energy, industry, agriculture, education, and tourism.

It is impossible to imagine the new phase of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations separately from the regional context. This approach gives Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations a broader meaning than bilateral ties. With Azerbaijan representing the South Caucasus and Uzbekistan representing a significant part of Central Asia, they are becoming complementary partners in the development of the Middle Corridor, trade, logistics, and energy connections," she noted.

According to Valiyeva, relations are also deepening in the fields of education, science, and humanitarian affairs:

"In this context, the opening of STEAM schools is particularly noteworthy. Because in the modern era, one of the main factors ensuring the sustainability of interstate relations is the mutual engagement of youth, science, and educational institutions.

Azerbaijan is now building its relations with Central Asia not only within the framework of bilateral ties, but in the context of South Caucasus-Central Asia coordination, the Middle Corridor, energy connections, and the integration of the Turkic world. In particular, the 'transition from C5 to C6' indicates a new phase of Azerbaijan's regional role."