Following the negotiations, Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a series of bilateral documents, the most important of which was the “Agreement on Alliance Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.”
It is now clear that relations between Baku and Tashkent are “improving.” The frequency and depth of bilateral high-level visits is just one indicator of this. During Ilham Aliyev's latest official visit, numerous documents were signed, ranging from agreements on cultural cooperation, education, protection of labor rights and judicial expertise, to cooperation programs between the foreign ministries and the possible establishment of the ASAN service in Uzbekistan.
SOCAR and Uzbekneftegaz also agreed to cooperate. Recently, a delegation of Uzbek military authorities visited Azerbaijan to study the experience of using unmanned aerial vehicles. Against this vibrant background, the President of Uzbekistan had every reason to declare: “Today, together with the esteemed Ilham Heydarovich, I signed a treaty on alliance relations. This document marks the beginning of a new chapter in strengthening cooperation between our countries. We confirmed our strong commitment to the path of comprehensive development of a multifaceted partnership.”
In fact, this partnership is multifaceted and covers a wide range of areas: culture, education, military and security issues, political coordination, investments, logistics, etc. A hotel complex with Azerbaijan's participation is under construction in Tashkent, and Uzbek investors are investing in textile production in Khankendi. Azerbaijan remembers, and our President also reminded us recently, that Uzbekistan was the first foreign country to donate educational institutions to lands liberated from Armenian occupation.
Moreover, there is no doubt that the impact and outcomes of President Ilham Aliyev’s official visit will become truly clear in the near future as the signed agreements come into force.
Perhaps the conventions of the genre require citing figures such as trade turnover and mutual investments. But it is equally important to consider what lies beyond the headlines of the visit. In essence, this is about a shift in geopolitical vectors in a vast region that was once called the “Soviet underbelly”. The USSR is no longer on the map today, but its “geopolitical interpretation” in Central Asia survived until recently, and even NATO’s presence in Afghanistan and the use of bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan did not significantly change the situation. Economy, investments, labor migration, logistics, and support for addressing security issues were all somehow linked to Moscow. There seemed to be no other option.
However, a lot has changed now. Although there is no “geopolitical conflict” in Central Asia, the countries in the region are facing challenges and problems that need to be addressed.
Azerbaijan is one of the few ex-Soviet states to have achieved true independence, pursued a truly multilateral policy, and established partnerships with both Europe and China, while still maintaining ties with Russia. Today, Azerbaijan offers cooperation to Central Asian countries, especially Uzbekistan, in a variety of areas, including investment, logistics, and political coordination. It is no wonder that this has been warmly received.
But the rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan has more than just a “bilateral” dimension. It is part of the strengthening of cooperation between the Turkic states. What was once purely cultural and humanitarian is now turning into an economic and political partnership. Not only within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), but also on a bilateral basis. Essentially, on the eastern side of the Caspian Sea, historical connections and borders are being restored over a vast area. The region is no longer a politically sleeping state, but an “emerging region” with great potential, great opportunities and promise. Today, economic development is not the only thing that matters here. They are writing a new history, in which it will undoubtedly be noted that at key junctures, Azerbaijan was a reliable friend and partner of Uzbekistan.
