Uzbekistan seeks to boost trade volume with Turkey to $5 billion

Uzbekistan is seeking opportunities that will increase trade relations with Turkey, the country's s foreign trade minister said Monday.

Khodjaev Jamshid Abduhakimovich's remarks came during a meeting with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) President Serdar Çam, who is visiting the Uzbek capital Tashkent.

Recalling Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's official visit to Ankara in October after a nearly 20-year pause, Abduhakimovich said there is a lot of work needed to further enhance business relations.

"We want to increase the trade volume between Uzbekistan and Turkey to $5 billion," he said, remarking that the current $1.2 billion trade volume is far below the potential.

For his part, Çam said TIKA is willing and hopeful that trade relations will expand, saying, "We, as TIKA, always stand with you, and we are very happy to share all the opportunities with you."

As part of his talks in the country, Çam also visited Uzbekistan's State Committee for Investments. He is expected to also visit the ministries of foreign affairs, labor and health.

On Oct. 25, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Uzbek counterpart Mirziyoyev met in Ankara, marking the first presidential visit in 18 years. Both leaders expressed interest in expanding economic and cultural partnerships between the two countries.