Friendship and brotherhood lie at the foundation of Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan relations. The friendly relations with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, have elevated these ties to an even higher level.
“Elchi” reports that President Ilham Aliyev stated this at the opening ceremony of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum held in Shusha on the theme “Mission of Media in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust.”
“I must also mention that the first person to help Azerbaijan in the restoration of Karabakh was the President of Uzbekistan. A beautiful, large school named after Mirzo Ulugbek was built in Fuzuli, and we both inaugurated that school. After that, other brotherly states – countries like Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan – also gave us gifts,” the President emphasized.
The head of state added that when he is in Uzbekistan, he witnesses the closeness and bond between the peoples:
“When I look at the writings there, I see that there is no need for any translation; our languages are similar to each other, there is a difference in pronunciation, but everything is understandable. We are united by very great historical ties, and the development of relations with Uzbekistan is one of our priorities.”
Ilham Aliyev added that the first large industrial enterprise in Khankendi, a garment factory, was also opened with Uzbek investment:
“We are implementing many economic and industrial projects; we have created a joint investment fund worth 500 million dollars. This fund is engaged in the implementation of various projects both in Uzbekistan and in Azerbaijan. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan – SOCAR is investing in a very important exploration field in Uzbekistan, and I hope that we will receive good news in the near future. Because today, energy security, especially gas supply, is important for many countries, and I hope that the exploration work in the Ustyurt field will end with a good result.”
The President added that President Mirziyoyev has exceptional services and a special role in the Azerbaijan-Central Asia format.
“Azerbaijan has already joined this consultative council as a full member; I have joined twice as a guest of honor, and the last time, a unified Central Asia Consultative Council was created, which makes us very proud and happy. This is a very unique event because we are a South Caucasus country, but the cultural, historical, ethnic, and political ties are so strong and multifaceted that our friendly Central Asian countries decided to accept us. This will also have a positive impact on geopolitical and geoeconomic relations. Because Central Asia is uniting with Azerbaijan in a unified economic and political space, and at the same time, it has great significance in terms of the implementation of transport and logistics projects,” Ilham Aliyev emphasized.
The President stated that the foresight of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev played a role in the realization of all these:
“I am often in Uzbekistan, and I will probably be there this year as well. I am very happy to see the innovations during every visit, and I know that the brotherly Uzbek people and state are moving forward with success and confidence under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev.”