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bne March 2025 Opinion 61
COMMENT
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan create new Eurasian economic hub
Seymur Mammadov in Baku
Agrowing partnership between Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan marks an important shift in
regional economic diplomacy, with the three countries positioning themselves as key players in Eurasian connectivity and supply chain resilience.
At meeting in Ankara on January 29, ministers from the trio demonstrated a clear commitment to long-term strategic cooperation, ensuring that economic and geopolitical interests are aligned for sustained growth and regional stability.
The high level dialogue between the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, trade and transport builds on the trilateral cooperation platform launched in August 2022 in Tashkent, where the three nations committed to enhancing economic, trade, and infrastructure ties amid evolving geopolitical and economic challenges.
Longstanding cooperation
The initiative to establish this format originally came from Azerbaijan, with the other two countries readily supporting it. Previously, Tashkent had proposed the Barrier-Free Central
Asia initiative, and this new trilateral format aligns well with Uzbekistan’s stated objectives. Created in 2022, the format is entirely new in the relations between the three countries.
However, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan have long cooperated both bilaterally and within multilateral frameworks. Notably, all three nations actively collaborate
“Notably, all three nations actively collaborate within the United Nations, the Organization of
Turkic States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Economic Cooperation Organization and other international and regional structures.”
At meeting in Ankara on January 29, ministers from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan committed to long-term strategic cooperation. / Azerbaijan foreign ministry
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