TASHKENT, Aug 8 (Alliance News):Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to launch a border trade zone linking Shavat in Khorezm with the Dashoguz region, in a bid to boost cross-border commerce and double trade turnover.
The agreement was signed in Tashkent by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, alongside Turkmen officials and representatives from international organisations. Both sides also approved a Joint Action Plan to raise bilateral trade to $2 billion.
During the visit, Kudratov met Turkmen ministers Nazar Agakhanov and Toiguly Nurov, as well as senior officials from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
With UNIDO, Uzbekistan agreed to a medium-term partnership covering industrial cooperation, infrastructure upgrades, energy-efficient technologies, and workforce development. Talks with UNECE focused on joint projects under the SPECA programme, targeting the green economy, logistics, smart agriculture, and innovation.
Trade between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan hit $1.15 billion in 2024, with $500 million recorded in the first half of 2025 — signalling steady growth in economic ties.
