Central Asian Ministers Discuss Made in Central Asia Brand in Tashkent
Photo: A map of Central Asia with the flags of each country, made with Autodesk Sketchbook, various authors, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
The first meeting of trade and investment ministers from Central Asia and Azerbaijan was held in Tashkent ahead of the Kazakh president’s state visit. The participants discussed regional economic cooperation and the possibility of creating a shared brand, Orda.kz reports.
According to Gazeta.uz, the ministers examined prospects for greater market integration among Central Asian states, with Azerbaijan joining the dialogue for the first time.
Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Laziz Kudratov, proposed creating a “Made in Central Asia” label. He argued that a unified brand would help increase exports and strengthen recognition of regional products abroad.
Uzbekistan also suggested holding a Central Asia–Azerbaijan investment forum in Samarkand in 2026, where regional business projects could be presented along with the new brand.
Considering the complementarity of our economies and the growing interest of businesses in joint projects, we propose developing a joint action plan to increase mutual trade to $20 billion,
said Kudratov.
He noted that regional trade turnover doubled from $5.5 billion in 2017 to $11 billion in 2024.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade, Arman Shakkaliyev, encouraged Central Asian partners to move from a simple “buy-sell” model to an “invest-produce-sell” approach. He said Kazakhstan has already launched a new investment cycle focused on export-oriented production and stable value chains.
We plan to sign a program for the development of industrial cooperation with Uzbekistan, and some of its elements can be extended to the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan,
Shakkaliyev said.
Supporting the idea of a common brand, Kazakhstan suggested starting with a pilot project using digital trading platforms.
Tajikistan’s Minister of Economic Development, Zavqi Zavqizoda, emphasized digitalization, AI platforms, and fintech projects.
Turkmenistan’s Minister of Trade, Nazar Agakhanov, called for simplifying trade procedures and developing shared electronic platforms. Kyrgyzstan was represented by its ambassador to Uzbekistan, Duishonkul Chotonov.
Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Minister of Economy, Elnur Aliyev, said his country is ready to develop transport infrastructure and logistics hubs to support regional business initiatives.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a communiqué outlining commitments to deepen economic cooperation, develop joint ventures, and create new mechanisms for investment partnerships.
Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya
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