BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 24. Uzbekistan and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to expanding strategic cooperation, with a focus on implementing high-level agreements and strengthening trade, economic and regional ties, during a meeting between the countries' foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to review the current state of bilateral relations and discuss priorities for advancing the strategic partnership and allied relations between the two countries.
"The strong momentum in the strategic partnership and allied relations between Uzbekistan and Russia was particularly noted. The active and trust-based dialogue between our leaders provides a solid foundation for the consistent development of cooperation across all areas," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministers emphasized the importance of ensuring the timely and full implementation of agreements reached by the two countries' leaders. They also discussed measures to expand trade and economic cooperation, strengthen interregional ties and intensify cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
In addition to bilateral issues, Saidov and Lavrov exchanged views on current regional and international developments. They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination within multilateral organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the United Nations and other international platforms.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, which brings together the organization's member states to coordinate positions on regional security, economic cooperation and other issues ahead of the annual leaders' summit.
Russia remains one of Uzbekistan's largest trading partners and a key strategic partner in Central Asia. In recent years, the two countries have expanded cooperation across trade, investment, industry, energy, transport and education, while also strengthening coordination through regional and international organizations.
The latest talks underscore Tashkent and Moscow's continued focus on translating high-level political agreements into practical economic and regional cooperation projects while maintaining close coordination on shared international and regional priorities.
