Turkey and Uzbekistan have set their sights on increasing bilateral trade to $5 billion within a year, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said late Tuesday as he met his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Central Asian country's capital Tashkent.
"We have set a year as a target to reach $5 billion," Erdoğan said.
"I believe that, through the preferential trade agreement we have signed today, we will reach our targets in a shorter time," he added.
Erdoğan has arrived in the country upon the invitation of Mirziyoyev.
"The relations between Turkey and Uzbekistan, which we have described as a 'strategic partnership based on brotherhood,' are developing in an atmosphere of mutual trust in all areas," Erdoğan also said in an article published in the New Uzbekistan newspaper Tuesday.
"In the framework of our talks, we will discuss the political, economic, military and social aspects of our bilateral cooperation in many areas, from energy to agriculture, from industry to culture, from youth issues to environmental issues," the president wrote. He also called on Turkish citizens to visit Uzbekistan "in the current period of revival," urging the public to invest in this country and contribute to the development of relations with Uzbekistan in all areas.
"The projects being implemented in Uzbekistan by our entrepreneurs are a source of pride for us, as well as a driving force for mutual trade," Erdoğan added.
"At a time when Turkey is expanding its ties with this ancient continent in the 'Asian Century' under the slogan 'More Asia,' we have a long history of deepening relations with our brotherly Uzbekistan in all areas."
Cooperation
Erdoğan went on to say that Turkish companies' investments in Uzbekistan have reached $1.5 billion and highlighted that contracting companies have successfully completed 241 projects worth $5 billion in Uzbekistan thus far.
Turkish companies are ready to contribute to the achievement of Uzbekistan's 2022-2026 development strategies, Erdoğan said as he thanked President Mirziyoyev on behalf of the country "for the trust he has in our investors."
Underlining that cooperation in the field of tourism is getting stronger, Erdoğan said last year, Turkey broke a record and hosted more than 270,000 Uzbek travelers.
"It is possible to increase this target to 500,000" he said.
"Another area in which we have great potential is undoubtedly the defense industry," Erdoğan said, adding that the Turkish defense industry is ready to share its opportunities with Uzbekistan.
"The successes Turkey has achieved in this field are evident. We agree to further develop our cooperation in a wide range of fields, from transportation to energy, from health to education and culture," the president said.
Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established on March 4, 1992, months after Uzbekistan declared its independence on Aug. 31, 1991. Tashkent and Ankara marked three decades of diplomatic relations on March 4.
Turkey was also the first country to recognize Uzbekistan's independence on Dec. 16, 1991.