Uzbekistan urges Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan to unite for creating single IT hub

Uzbekistan has called on Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan to unite to strengthen Central Asia's role as a unified IT hub.

According to a Report correspondent from Samarkand, such a proposal was made by Uzbekistan's Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, at a seminar dedicated to the launch of the digital backbone during the 59th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Governors.

He stated that interconnectivity requires regional integration.

"We strive for integration through the expansion of telecommunications networks with all our neighbors. Regional communications commissions are currently operating in Uzbekistan, where we are working to harmonize frequency use.

This allows for more efficient allocation of resources for telecommunications networks and minimizes problems in border areas. As a result, mobile networks do not interfere with each other near borders," the minister noted.

Shermatov emphasized that in the ICT sector, Uzbekistan is focusing on promoting Central Asia as a unified digital space, rather than as individual countries.

"This was particularly evident during the recent visit of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Bukhara. Both presidents attended a national hackathon on artificial intelligence. The main message was that the IT Park promotes Central Asia as a holistic IT hub.

We invite Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and other countries to work together to present regional products in Silicon Valley and at major international venues, such as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We see significant synergies here: Kazakhstan has a developed venture capital market and financial sector, while Uzbekistan has a large youth population focused on startups. By joining forces, we can achieve significantly more," he added.