Uzbekistan and Georgia set $1 billion trade goal during high-level talks

The agreements were reached during talks between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, held in both one-on-one and expanded formats as part of the Uzbek leader's state visit to Georgia.

Opening the meeting, Mirziyoyev noted that the trip was the first state visit by an Uzbek president to Georgia in more than two decades and said it marked an important step toward a qualitatively new stage in bilateral relations.

The discussions focused on strengthening political dialogue, expanding trade and investment ties, developing transport and transit corridors, and promoting tourism and cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

The two sides noted that bilateral trade reached $270 million last year and has already exceeded $100 million since the beginning of this year. They agreed to work toward raising annual trade turnover to $1 billion in the coming years and to adopt a joint roadmap to achieve that target.

The leaders also expressed support for broader use of the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi, as well as plans to establish a logistics hub, an industrial zone, and a permanent showroom for Uzbek products in Georgia.

During the talks, the parties proposed exploring the possibility of linking the Baku – Tbilisi – Kars railway with the planned China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan railway, a move that could strengthen regional transport connectivity.

The two countries also agreed to pursue new joint projects in industrial cooperation, agriculture, electrical engineering, energy, pharmaceuticals, food processing, light industry, construction materials manufacturing, digitalization, information technology, digital banking services, and tourism.

In addition, Uzbekistan and Georgia discussed establishing a joint investment fund. Uzbekistan also decided to open an embassy in Georgia.

The two governments agreed to prepare a joint roadmap to ensure the implementation of the agreements reached during the talks.