Uzbekistan and Turkey step up economic partnership and educational ties

Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Turkey Ilkhom Haidarov met with President of the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Rifat Hisarciklioglu in Ankara. The central topic of the talks was strengthening trade and economic cooperation, developing joint projects and expanding academic exchanges between the two countries.

TOBB, established in 1950, represents the largest association of business circles in Turkey. It consists of 367 chambers of commerce and industry and commodity exchanges, which unite more than 2 million enterprises across the country. The organization plays an important role in shaping Turkey's business agenda and international economic initiatives.

During the meeting, the sides confirmed their interest in deepening partnership with Uzbekistan, which has shown stable positive dynamics in recent years. The parties noted the importance of practical implementation of the agreements reached at the level of heads of state, in particular on creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurs, technology exchange and development of industrial cooperation.

According to the Turkish side, cooperation in a number of key sectors has intensified in 2024. Among the priority areas are the textile and leather and footwear industries, the production of building materials, glass, furniture, pharmaceutical products, as well as the jewelry sector. Joint projects aimed at localization of production, export cooperation and creation of new jobs are being prepared.

Special attention was paid to the educational component of interaction. In particular, the prospects for expanding academic exchanges with TOBB ETÜ University were discussed. Currently, 30 students of the Tashkent branch of this university are studying in Ankara. In the near future, we plan to increase the number of teachers from Turkey attracted to work in Uzbekistan, which indicates the growth of institutional trust and mutual interest in training a new generation of personnel.

In addition, they discussed the possibilities of cooperation with the analytical division of TOBB-the Turkish Economic Policy Foundation (TEPAV). The study of its activities opens up prospects for creating joint analytical platforms and deepening scientific and expert exchange in the field of economic policy.

As a result of the negotiations, an agreement was reached to hold the "Day of Investors of Uzbekistan"in Istanbul in September-October 2025. The event is aimed at presenting the country's investment potential, establishing direct business contacts and expanding interregional dialogue between Uzbek and Turkish business circles.

The deepening partnership between Uzbekistan and Turkey confirms the strategic focus on strengthening economic ties, technological cooperation and joint human resources in the interests of sustainable growth of both economies.