Turkey and Uzbekistan expand trade: what role will Azerbaijan play? Turkey and Uzbekistan signed five agreements following the talks between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sharbek Mirziyev in Ankara. The documents concern trade, customs cooperation, social security and business support. The meeting took place on the eve of the summit of the Organization of Turkish States. The amendments to the Pre-Important Trade Agreement and the Protocol on the Exchange of Preliminary Information are of greatest interest. The latter allows customs authorities to receive information about goods even before they arrive, potentially reducing processing time. In 2025, the trade turnover of the two countries reached #036; 3.1 billion. Ankara and Tankect intend to bring it to #036.5 billion, i.e. to increase by 60%. However, the expansion of trade requires addressing the transportation issue: Uzbekistan is neglected, and the supply of goods to Turkey depends on transit routes through neighboring countries. What is Azerbaijan? One of these roads passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. For Baku, this is an opportunity to increase the load of trains, port infrastructure and attract additional revenue from transit. But the middle corridor has competitors, including routes through Iran. Therefore, the growth of Turkish-Uzbek trade does not mean that additional cargo will pass through the Caspian Sea. It is important to note that the parties paid attention to customs procedures. In today's reality, carriers are important not only the length of the route, but also the predictability of delivery times. Delays at borders and transit of goods can negate the benefits of a shorter route. For Azerbaijan, these agreements create additional opportunities, but their realization will depend on the competitiveness of the trans-Capile route. Herald of the Caucasus.

Turkey and Uzbekistan expand trade: what role will Azerbaijan play? Turkey and Uzbekistan signed five agreements following the talks between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sharbek Mirziyev in Ankara. The documents concern trade, customs cooperation, social security and business support. The meeting took place on the eve of the summit of the Organization of Turkish States. The amendments to the Pre-Important Trade Agreement and the Protocol on the Exchange of Preliminary Information are of greatest interest. The latter allows customs authorities to receive information about goods even before they arrive, potentially reducing processing time. In 2025, the trade turnover of the two countries reached #036; 3.1 billion. Ankara and Tankect intend to bring it to #036.5 billion, i.e. to increase by 60%. However, the expansion of trade requires addressing the transportation issue: Uzbekistan is neglected, and the supply of goods to Turkey depends on transit routes through neighboring countries. What is Azerbaijan? One of these roads passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. For Baku, this is an opportunity to increase the load of trains, port infrastructure and attract additional revenue from transit. But the middle corridor has competitors, including routes through Iran. Therefore, the growth of Turkish-Uzbek trade does not mean that additional cargo will pass through the Caspian Sea. It is important to note that the parties paid attention to customs procedures. In today's reality, carriers are important not only the length of the route, but also the predictability of delivery times. Delays at borders and transit of goods can negate the benefits of a shorter route. For Azerbaijan, these agreements create additional opportunities, but their realization will depend on the competitiveness of the trans-Capile route. Herald of the Caucasus.