Skip to main content

Iran, Uzbekistan ink major deals during rare visit by Uzbek president

The Islamic Republic offered to share its "experience" in overcoming international sanctions in the first visit by an Uzbek leader to Tehran in 20 years, marked by multiple trade and energy agreements. 

The official welcoming ceremony of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The official welcoming ceremony of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran was held in the Congress Center building of the Samarkand Silk Road Tourism Complex, Sept. 14, 2022. — Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran

TEHRAN — Iran and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement citing 10 agreements to strengthen their bilateral economic cooperation, as Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyov sat down with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, on Sunday.  

According to the government-run IRNA news agency, the agreements cover a wide range of areas such as energy, transit, technology, agriculture, the pharmaceutical industry and insurance. 

The two sides also signed a document on preferential trade, with Raisi calling on ministers from both sides to list commodities to be covered in such an arrangement within two weeks. He said Tehran and Tashkent were now looking to push the boundary on their trade volume, aiming for an annual $3 billion. 

In 2021, the value of the two countries' trade stood at $431 million, according to Iranian official data. 

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish