TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 22. Interregional cooperation should become one of the key drivers of the economic partnership between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov said at the fourth Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Regional Forum in Tashkent, Trend's special correspondent reports.
According to Kudratov, bilateral trade has increased 26-fold over the past 10 years. In the first half of this year, trade between the two countries grew by a further 30%.
The minister noted that nearly 260 enterprises with Azerbaijani capital are currently operating in Uzbekistan, while more than 130 enterprises with Uzbek capital operate in Azerbaijan.
According to Kudratov, the two countries have built a portfolio of investment projects and trade contracts worth around $10 billion.
“Dear friends, it is precisely the interregional dimension of cooperation – direct engagement between our regions – that should become one of the key drivers of our economic partnership. Regions are where enterprises, investment sites, human resources and opportunities for new projects are concentrated,” Kudratov said.
