From Trust to a Shared Economy: Key Ideas of the President of Uzbekistan in Avaza

News of Cental Asia

08.10.2026

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The Eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia was held for the first time with Azerbaijan as a full-fledged participant. In his address, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that the very atmosphere of relations in the region has transformed in recent years and that trust between our countries has become a reality. The task now is to turn it into joint projects that will make cooperation sustainable for decades to come.

Six economies – one product. Standard mutual trade is no longer sufficient for the region, and the President proposed moving towards creating finished products together. When enterprises from several countries participate in a single production chain, far stronger and more durable ties emerge between their economies. To support such initiatives, he proposed establishing a Platform for Financial and Technical Support of Joint Investment Projects and holding a Central Asia–Azerbaijan business forum in Khiva in 2027.

Transport that generates economic activity. New corridors should function as a unified system rather than a set of separate routes. Production facilities, logistics and industrial zones are to be developed along them, so that every country they pass through gains a greater impact. Uzbekistan is ready to host the first meeting of the Council for Infrastructure Development.

Resources as a shared advantage. The diversity of the region’s energy potential allows countries to complement one another, and a Joint Concept for Low-Carbon Energy Potential would help coordinate new generation capacity and energy corridors. In critical minerals, the President called for stepping up efforts to establish the Regional Alliance on Critical Minerals and for creating a Unified Digital Map of Critical Mineral Reserves in Central Asia to show investors that the region is ready to act together.

Water and clean air. As water scarcity grows, accurate accounting and reducing losses become the main reserve, which is why the focus is on digital monitoring and water-saving technologies. Starting next year, Uzbekistan will chair the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, and to tackle air pollution it has proposed the International Consortium “Clean Air of Central Asia”.

The region in the age of AI. Linking national data centres into a Common Computing Infrastructure would enable more efficient use of computing capacity and support the development of the region’s own digital products. This is an area where joint solutions can deliver results faster than large-scale infrastructure.

Skills for the future. A Regional Atlas of In-Demand Professions and Skills would help universities and vocational institutions prepare specialists for the real needs of the economy and, in the longer term, for specific major projects across the region.

Beyond our borders. Central Asia is building ever stronger ties with neighbouring regions. Next year, Tashkent will host the international conference “Interregional Dialogue for Peace and Sustainable Connectivity: A Central Asian Approach” to discuss this agenda in detail.

The President summed up the guiding principle of further cooperation in a simple formula: “Solidarity and trust – for the sake of development and security.”