BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15. Uzbekistan plans to scale up regional cooperation model with Belarus targeting increasing the volume of mutual trade to $2 billion.
This is reflected in the release of the press service of Uzbek president.
The plans were outlined during a presentation with participation of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during which he has reviewed a comprehensive plan on implementing bilateral agreements reached during his official visit to Belarus on July 8–9.
"During the official visit of the head of our state to Belarus on July 8-9, important agreements were reached on increasing the volume of mutual trade to $2 billion, as well as on the implementation of 310 joint projects and activities worth a total of $2 billion in the fields of mechanical engineering, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, wood processing, and healthcare," the release of the press service says.
The high-level agreements outline the execution of 310 joint projects and initiatives valued at $2 billion across key sectors, including machine building, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, wood processing, and healthcare. To accelerate these efforts, Belarus has offered industrial sites, state-owned facilities, and extensive agricultural lands - which comprise 40% of its territory - to host Uzbek investment projects.
A central element of the strategy involves expanding the successful cooperation model established between Uzbekistan's Andijan region and the Vitebsk region of Belarus to other territories. Consequently, the Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan, Tashkent, Fergana, Samarkand, and Surkhandarya regions of Uzbekistan will be paired with the Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno, Gomel, and Brest regions of Belarus under dedicated "roadmaps" focusing on industrial localization and joint venture development.
As part of this regional expansion, a package of 30 new projects valued at over $100 million has been compiled, primarily focused on agriculture and forestry in the Vitebsk region. Backed by the "Andijan Invest" company, these initiatives include the establishment of a modern dairy complex for 3,000 head of cattle, several mid-sized livestock farms, and a deep wood-processing plant producing fuel pellets from wood waste.
To lower cargo transit costs and streamline trade, the two countries are also focusing on upgrading logistics infrastructure. Uzbekistan plans to launch an intermodal logistics center at the Orsha station in the Vitebsk region by the end of 2026, in collaboration with Belarusian Railways, which will offer preferential tariff rates for import-export cargo. This will be further supported by the introduction of direct block train services running between the two countries.
In addition to trade and industry, the bilateral framework places high priority on structured, organized employment pathways. Initially, 1,100 Uzbek citizens will be employed on a competitive basis across 13 enterprises in Belarus. Starting this September, 500 residents from the Andijan region will be employed monthly in the Vitebsk region, with a long-term target of 5,000 jobs, supported by a new representative office of Uzbekistan’s Agency for External Labor Migration to be opened in Vitebsk.
President Mirziyoyev instructed government officials to provide financial support and simplified banking procedures for Uzbek entrepreneurs looking to establish businesses in Belarus. He emphasized that all regional projects must be strictly monitored to ensure they translate into operational joint ventures and high-value jobs.
