In an interview with the Azerbaijani news agency AZERTAC, Khayotjon Ibragimov described the current state of Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations as a phase of deep institutional alliance. In his view, the rapprochement between Tashkent and Baku goes far beyond traditional bilateral friendship and forms the basis for a broader geo-economic link between Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
The expert paid particular attention to energy cooperation. Among the key areas, he highlighted the collaboration between “Uzbekneftegaz” and SOCAR, joint geological exploration, the development of a modern network of gas stations, as well as the prospects for green energy transit across the Caspian Sea. He also highlighted the significance of the trilateral project between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan to create an energy corridor capable of bringing Central Asia’s renewable electricity to European markets.
The interview also underscored the strategic role of transportation and logistics cooperation. Khayotjon Ibragimov noted the importance of the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, the synchronization of railway infrastructure, the expansion of the Alyat Port’s capacity, and the prospects for connecting these routes to the “China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan” railway. In his view, it is precisely the combination of energy and transportation integration that can transform the Uzbek-Azerbaijani partnership into one of the key elements of the new Eurasian connectivity architecture.
Read more on the AZERTAC website
* The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.
