BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. Uzbekistan is seeking to expand export, import and transit cargo shipments through Georgia's Black Sea ports as part of broader efforts to strengthen regional transport corridors and improve international logistics.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan.
A Uzbek delegation led by First Deputy Transport Minister Mamanbiy Omarov visited Georgia on June 30 for meetings with the management of the Poti Free Industrial Zone, container terminal operator APM Terminals, Poti New Sea Port and logistics company Pace Group.
During the visit, the delegation toured port facilities and assessed the capacity of logistics infrastructure used for handling Uzbek cargo.
According to the ministry, the sides reviewed terminal and warehouse facilities for receiving, storing, processing, containerizing, transshipping, consolidating and deconsolidating export, import and transit goods moving to and from Uzbekistan.
"The parties held detailed discussions on expanding the use of the existing logistics infrastructure to serve Uzbek cargo and increasing the volume of export, import and transit shipments through the Port of Poti," the ministry said in a statement.
The talks also focused on the use of covered and open storage facilities, temporary warehousing services, container-handling capacity and improving the efficiency of multimodal transportation linking Central Asia with international markets.
The discussions come as Uzbekistan continues to diversify its trade routes and strengthen access to global markets through the Middle Corridor, which connects Central Asia with Europe via the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and the Black Sea.
"The sides also exchanged views on improving cargo handling and storage services, ensuring the stability and competitiveness of the logistics chain, and developing long-term practical cooperation," the ministry said.
The sides said expanding the use of Georgia's port infrastructure would help increase the efficiency of Uzbekistan's foreign trade by providing businesses with more reliable transport options and enhancing the country's role as a regional logistics hub.
The visit underscores Uzbekistan's ongoing efforts to deepen transport cooperation with regional partners and build resilient supply chains to support growing trade flows with Europe, the Caucasus and other international markets.
