site.btaRegional Development Minister Sees Potential to Expand Economic Relations with Uzbekistan

Bulgaria sees Uzbekistan as a promising partner in trade and investment in Central Asia with a potential to expand and deepen bilateral economic relations, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov said during a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade Laziz Kudratov, the Regional Development Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

Ivanov and Kudratov discussed potential areas for expanding and strengthening cooperation and partnership between Bulgaria and Uzbekistan.

Areas of mutual interest identified during the meeting include transport connectivity, trade, construction and infrastructure.

Discussion also focused on the possibility of holding the sixth session of the Bulgaria-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission in the fall 2025. On the Bulgarian side, the Commission is chaired by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.

“We support the expansion of the legal and contractual framework between our two countries and believe that within the Intergovernmental Commission, we can include new areas of interaction, including regional development, where we can exchange experience and explore opportunities for joint initiatives,” Minister Ivanov stressed.

“We realized that we have lost a lot of time, and there are many opportunities for partnership between Bulgaria and Uzbekistan,” said Kudratov, during the meeting. He expressed his country’s strong desire for deeper trade and economic cooperation with Bulgaria and for establishing direct contacts between Uzbek and Bulgarian companies in various sectors.

Both ministers agreed that through joint efforts, they can lay the foundation for a new dynamic in cooperation between the two countries.