29.01.2025 Ankara

In his speech at the Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Trilateral Business Forum, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We should continue our work within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. The Organization of Turkic States is the main international organization for us.”

Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Trilateral Business Forum was hosted by TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu. Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov and Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov participated in the program, where joint trade agreements and cooperation between the three countries were discussed.

Delivering an opening speech within the framework of the program, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the preferential trade agreements signed by Türkiye with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are promising for the future of bilateral trade relations. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that new trade targets are set every year, but they cannot achieve these targets due to high customs walls and said, “The reason for this is obvious. There is no duty-free trade between us. We have a Free Trade Agreement with Georgia, but not with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. As President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Aliyev said, first of all, we should continue our work within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. The Organization of Turkic States is the main international organization for us because it is our family. We have no other family. The Turkic world is our family.”

- “We attach great importance to the Trade Facilitation Committee”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the Free Trade Agreement between the three countries should be realized and said, “We care about the trilateral formats in this respect. We also attach great importance to the Trade Facilitation Committee established under the Organization of Turkic States. Taking the Union of Turkic Chambers of Commerce and Industry as a stakeholder in this issue will be useful in the work. In 2024, Türkiye-Uzbekistan trade volume reached 3 billion dollars. There is no reason why this should not be 10 billion dollars. With this figure, Türkiye has become the fourth largest trade partner of Uzbekistan,” he said.

- “Work on the Kars-Nakhchivan Railway Project should be completed quickly”

Emphasizing that Türkiye’s trade with Azerbaijan is well below its potential, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:

“When we add our energy imports, our trade volume is around 7 billion dollars. We also need to develop our potential in the fields of transportation and energy. Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line is one of the most concrete examples of this. However, in order to get more efficiency from this line, the renovation works should be completed urgently. Similarly, the works on the Kars-Nakhchivan Railway Project should be completed rapidly. On December 26, during my visit to Baku, I told Mr. Minister that we should organize a workshop for the Zangezur corridor.”

- “High costs cannot increase trade”

Underlining that as TOBB, they are ready to take the necessary responsibility in commercial investments with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, Hisarcıkloğlu said, “Increasing the capacity of TANAP, transferring Turkmenistan Caspian natural gas to Türkiye and Europe, and using Trans-Caspian transits more effectively and efficiently are also among our priorities. It is very important to have more ro-ro vessels in the Caspian. Unfortunately, a poorly functioning logistics network will take us backwards. Today, the freight fee for an average truck to Uzbekistan is 8,000 dollars. We cannot increase trade with such high costs.”

- “Land customs gates are of great importance in trade”

Pointing out that one of the most important issues in trade is customs crossings, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “In our region, land customs gates are of great importance. As TOBB, we have great experience and success in renovating and operating them. Türkiye’s projects in this field have been recognized as a success story by the United Nations and shown as an example to the world. We are ready to transfer our experiences on this issue.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu, who claimed that another issue they attach importance to is entrepreneurship, said that they have to encourage entrepreneurship and increase the number of entrepreneurs.

-Trade Minister Ömer Bolat

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat stated that Türkiye’s bilateral trade volume with Azerbaijan reached 8 billion dollars last year and 3.3 billion dollars with Uzbekistan, “Our Turkish contractors have successfully completed 836 construction projects worth 28 billion dollars so far in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.”

Bolat said that the relations between the three countries are excellent politically. Emphasizing that these relations have risen to a very good level in the fields of economy, trade, tourism, investments and contracting, Bolat said, “Our bilateral trade with Azerbaijan rose to $ 8 billion last year, and our trade volume with brotherly Uzbekistan reached $ 3.3 billion.”

Bolat stated that Türkiye’s exports to Uzbekistan have increased 15 times and to Azerbaijan 9 times since 2003 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Bolat, who informed that imports from Azerbaijan to Türkiye increased 40 times and from Uzbekistan 10 times in the same period, said that Türkiye has made preferential trade agreements with the two countries and that negotiations are ongoing to expand this agreement, which covers a certain number of products, with new products.

Bolat said that the three countries continue to work on developing joint trade within the Organization of Turkic States, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

- Emphasis on cooperation

Noting that Türkiye is implementing mutual cooperation programs with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to develop halal products and increase halal standards, Bolat continued: “Investments are also very important.

There are 37 billion dollars of mutual investments between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. There are also 4.4 billion dollars of mutual investments between Türkiye and Uzbekistan. Our work is about winning, growing and increasing prosperity together. As governments, we are increasing our efforts to increase private sector investments in energy, electronics, mining, agriculture, health, IT and construction sectors.”

- Minister of Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Kudratov

Speaking at the program, Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov pointed out that the volume of trade between Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan is growing and said: “The volume of trade between our countries has increased by 50 percent in the last 7 years and reached 3.2 billion dollars. The volume of investment from Türkiye and Azerbaijan increased 10 times and reached about 2.1 billion dollars. The number of companies with the capital of these countries in Uzbekistan increased 4 times in 2024 and amounted to about 2,100. Today, officials from 3 countries, as well as more than 300 representatives of the business community gathered at the business forum. Today, in Uzbekistan, in cooperation with world-famous companies, a full automobile production cycle has been created, which has reached a production capacity of 500,000 units per year. The pharmaceutical, textile, chemical and construction materials sectors are actively developing. A portfolio of 5 promising projects worth 8 billion dollars has been created in these areas.”

- Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Jabbarov

Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov, underlining that Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan have always been countries that attach great importance to cooperation and trade throughout history, said: “At the moment, our political relations continue and are carried out very fraternally. This, of course, is an indication of the existence of political will and the spillover of political will into the economy. Of course, we want to develop and deepen cooperation with all Turkic republics in a fraternal and friendly environment. Very serious changes have taken place in our region. Considering the situation in Syria, the return of Karabakh to Azerbaijan and the rapid development of Karabakh in a very short time and the fact that it is now a very important part of Azerbaijan’s economy, we need cooperation in a different dimension.”