From Trade to Industrial Cooperation: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Set New Priorities for Business

6 August 2026

In Tashkent, as part of the third day of the visit of the delegation of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Atameken”, headed by Chairman of the Presidium Kanat Sharlapaev, the 7th Meeting of the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan Business Council was held. Representatives of business support institutions, industry associations and the business communities of the two countries discussed how to transform the strong momentum in bilateral trade into new investment projects, industrial facilities and sustainable business ties.

Opening the meeting, Chairman of the Presidium of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan Davron Vakhabov noted the high level of interaction between the business communities of the two countries and emphasized the importance of the Business Council as a platform for direct dialogue and the advancement of mutually beneficial initiatives.

Murat Karimsakov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of NCE “Atameken” and Chairman of the Board of The Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, delivered welcoming remarks. He noted that the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan Business Forum held the previous day had, for the first time, been organized in a highly practical format. Entrepreneurs were given an opportunity to directly identify existing barriers, present proposals for developing industrial cooperation and discuss mechanisms for launching new joint projects.

He emphasized that, thanks to the political will of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, relations between the two countries have reached a qualitatively new level. While several years ago the main efforts were focused on restoring and expanding trade and economic ties, the agenda is now centered on joint economic growth, investment and the establishment of production facilities.

The scale of emerging opportunities is confirmed by bilateral trade figures. In 2025, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan reached USD 4.8 billion, an increase of 16.2 percent. Kazakhstan’s exports grew by almost a quarter to USD 3.52 billion.

The current year is demonstrating even stronger momentum. In the first five months of 2026, trade reached USD 2.3 billion, 37.2 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year. Kazakhstan’s exports increased by 39.4 percent, while imports from Uzbekistan grew by 30.8 percent. Uzbekistan accounts for more than 55 percent of Kazakhstan’s regional trade turnover, reinforcing its position as our country’s largest trading partner in Central Asia.

At the same time, as noted during the meeting, growth in indicators is not an end in itself, but a foundation for moving towards deeper economic integration. The next stage should be the formation of a common production and investment space based on cooperation between enterprises, localization, expansion of value chains and the launch of new projects.

In this context, the participants considered opportunities to strengthen the practical role of the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan Business Council. The business community expects it not only to organize meetings and forums, but also to provide continuous follow-up on agreements reached — from identifying partners and preparing initiatives to removing emerging barriers and bringing each project to a concrete result.

Among the key proposals was the creation of a unified list of Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan projects, with responsible parties designated and implementation timelines monitored. This approach will make it possible to assess performance not by the number of documents signed, but by the number of initiatives brought to the implementation stage.

Particular attention was paid to systemic issues faced by entrepreneurs, including customs clearance, technical regulation, phytosanitary control, access to raw materials, logistics, cross-border payments and mutual recognition of permits.

To ensure their prompt consideration, it was proposed to establish a permanent mechanism under the Business Council for collecting business requests. The most significant issues are expected to be consolidated at the level of the chambers of the two countries and submitted for consideration by the Intergovernmental Commission, with subsequent monitoring of the implementation of decisions taken.

Another priority will be sectoral industrial cooperation. It was proposed to establish working groups in mechanical engineering, the agro-industrial complex, the chemical and textile industries, the construction industry, transport and logistics. Their task will be to identify complementary production capacities, select partners, prepare investment proposals and build common value chains.

The parties also see significant potential in interregional ties. Direct interaction between the regions of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, mutual business missions, investment roadshows, sectoral forums and business matchmaking events can provide impetus to new projects beyond the largest cities and capitals.

The practical implementation of the agreements reached is expected to be supported by regional chambers of entrepreneurs, whose heads and representatives took part in the 7th Meeting of the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan Business Council. It is they who work with local businesses on a daily basis, support investment projects, assist in identifying partners and help entrepreneurs resolve emerging issues. Thanks to this, decisions developed within the Business Council receive practical follow-up in the regions, creating a foundation for new joint projects, stronger interregional cooperation and the further development of business ties between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Digitalization should become an important component of the updated working format. The creation of a common platform where companies can post investment proposals, export opportunities, production needs and requests for partner searches will make business interaction continuous and significantly accelerate the launch of initiatives.

The parties identified joint promotion of products to third-country markets as another area of cooperation. According to the participants, combining the industrial, logistics and export potential of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will enable the two countries to act not only as trading partners but also as strategic allies in external markets, offering competitive products created through industrial cooperation.

Representatives of industry associations of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan operating in grain processing, production of oils and fats, the meat industry and the electrical engineering industry also shared their vision of further cooperation. The participation of specialized associations gave the discussion a practical focus and made it possible to identify specific areas of mutual interest.

The 7th Meeting of the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan Business Council became a logical continuation of the intensive programme of the visit of the NCE “Atameken” delegation to Uzbekistan. The Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan expressed their readiness to coordinate further work, facilitate the removal of obstacles and support promising initiatives.

The sustainable momentum of the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan partnership demonstrates that the strategic course set at the highest level is consistently acquiring concrete economic substance. New mechanisms of interaction make it possible to transform agreements reached into investment, production and long-term business ties, opening up additional opportunities for entrepreneurs and strengthening the positions of the two countries in the region.