Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Photo: Press Service of the President of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to increase their bilateral trade to $2 billion in the coming years, following talks in Samarkand between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty—the highest representative body of Turkmenistan. The agreement was announced by the Uzbek president’s press service.
According to official data, trade turnover between the two countries reached $1.1 billion last year. Both capitals now host joint trade houses, cargo traffic is on the rise, and cooperation is expanding through the Business Council and Regional Forum—developments that underscore the potential for further growth. Plans are also underway to create a cross-border trade zone at the Shavat–Dashoguz checkpoint, which is expected to further boost economic ties.
Mirziyoyev and Berdymukhamedov emphasized that bilateral cooperation is progressing in other areas as well, including energy, transport, agriculture, and water management. The two sides agreed to hold the third Regional Forum in Khiva this year, along with a series of Turkmenistan Culture Days in Uzbekistan.
The leaders also exchanged views on regional developments, with particular focus on preparations for upcoming summits in the “Central Asia Plus” format, as well as the seventh Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State, which is set to take place in Tashkent. Mirziyoyev also highlighted the significance of the Ashgabat Forum scheduled for December, organized under the UN-designated International Year of Peace and Trust at Turkmenistan’s initiative.
As a gesture of goodwill, Berdymukhamedov presented his Uzbek counterpart with a copy of his book Pearl of Wisdom translated into Uzbek. In return, President Mirziyoyev awarded the Turkmen statesman the nation’s highest honor—the Order of “Oliy Darajali Dustlik” (High-Level Friendship).
Berdymukhamedov arrived in Samarkand on April 23. That same day, he joined Mirziyoyev in attending cultural events at the Eternal City historical and ethnographic park, and later visited the Hazrat Khizr complex to pay tribute at the grave of Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov.
