BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. Uzbekistan and Georgia pledged to deepen trade, investment and industrial cooperation, as the two countries seek to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion and expand collaboration in manufacturing, logistics and technology.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan following the Uzbekistan–Georgia Business Forum held on Tuesday.
The forum, held in Tbilisi ahead of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to Georgia, brought together about 300 representatives of government agencies, financial institutions and businesses from both countries.
Uzbek Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov and Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili opened the event, emphasizing the growing momentum in bilateral economic relations.
"The forum marks an important step toward elevating Uzbekistan–Georgia economic cooperation to a new level, with a focus on practical projects, industrial partnerships and long-term investment," Uzbekistan's Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade said in a statement.
According to the ministry, bilateral trade reached $268 million in 2025, while both governments reaffirmed their goal of increasing annual trade turnover to $1 billion.
It was stressed that future cooperation would extend beyond trade to include joint manufacturing, industrial cooperation and access to third-country markets.
Participants identified transport and logistics as one of the key pillars of the partnership, highlighting the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor connecting Central Asia with Europe through the South Caucasus.
"The parties emphasized the importance of developing the Middle Corridor and strengthening Georgia's role as Uzbekistan's gateway to the Black Sea and European markets," the ministry said.
Special attention was given to plans to establish a trade, logistics and manufacturing hub in Georgia's Poti Free Industrial Zone, which officials said would facilitate export growth and improve regional supply chains.
To support industrial collaboration, the two countries announced plans to adopt an Industrial Cooperation Program through 2027, outlining new manufacturing projects, investment initiatives and long-term partnerships between enterprises.
The forum also identified pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, energy, electrical engineering and digital technologies as priority sectors for future cooperation.
Georgian companies were invited to establish production facilities in Uzbekistan, including at Tashkent Pharma Park, while both sides explored opportunities to combine Uzbekistan's agricultural resources with Georgia's expertise in food processing, winemaking, branding and premium packaging.
In the technology sector, discussions focused on expanding cooperation in fintech, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, business process outsourcing and the digitalization of trade and logistics.
Financial cooperation also featured prominently during the forum.
Participants highlighted the expansion of TBC Bank's operations in Uzbekistan, noting that the Georgian banking group and its partners have invested more than $460 million in the country.
"Financial institutions will continue to play an important role in supporting industrial development, export-oriented production and infrastructure projects," the ministry said.
Tourism was another major topic of discussion. According to the ministry, arrivals from Georgia to Uzbekistan have increased more than 2.5-fold since 2019, while visits by Uzbek citizens to Georgia rose 50.2% in 2025. Officials said the trend creates opportunities to develop joint tourism routes linking the Silk Road, the Caucasus and the Black Sea region.
The forum concluded with the signing of a series of bilateral cooperation agreements, followed by business-to-business and government-to-business meetings aimed at advancing investment projects and strengthening long-term economic ties between Uzbekistan and Georgia.
