Uzbekistan's energy cooperation with Türkiye is gaining momentum as the Central Asian country pushes ahead with reforms and looks to attract more private investment, the country's Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov told Anadolu.
Türkiye and Turkish companies were early supporters of Uzbekistan's reform drive, particularly in launching the country's first public-private partnership projects, Mirzamakhmudov told Anadolu on the sidelines of the 5th meeting of the energy ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) earlier this month in Istanbul.
"Türkiye and Turkish companies were the first to support us in those reforms, in transformation and implementing the first Public–Private Partnership projects (PPP)," he said.
Private investment initially focused on power generation, he said, before expanding into other parts of the sector. Türkiye also backed Uzbekistan's efforts to establish an energy market regulator, drawing on its own experience.
Türkiye and Uzbekistan have expanded energy ties in recent years as Tashkent accelerates market-oriented reforms and seeks foreign investment. Bilateral relations have gained momentum since 2016, with trade volume increasing from $1.2 billion to $3.5 billion by 2024. Turkish companies are active across Uzbekistan's power sector, including generation, distribution and major infrastructure projects.
Mirzamakhmudov said the first PPP electricity distribution project in the Samarkand region was awarded to a Turkish company through an international tender. Since then, Turkish firms have taken on a visible role in Uzbekistan's energy infrastructure as engineering, procurement and construction contractors.
He said Uzbekistan has also launched its first PPP projects in district heating with Turkish companies in Tashkent. While small in scale, the projects are notable for bringing private operators into district heating distribution. A cogeneration plant was built as part of the effort.
- Regional grid integration and green corridor
Beyond individual projects, Mirzamakhmudov said cooperation is increasingly focused on regional energy integration.
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are working on a green corridor project to transmit electricity generated from renewable sources, he said, adding that Kyrgyzstan has expressed interest in joining and talks with Türkiye are ongoing.
"That's why we're going from a regional-centered approach to inter-regional cooperation, and we believe this is one of our most important partnerships with our brothers in Türkiye," he said.
Mirzamakhmudov said concrete steps are already being taken, including the creation of working teams to coordinate technical discussions and prepare feasibility studies.
The next phase will focus on assessing market demand and developing the necessary project capacity, he said, with teams from both sides working closely together.
"These are concrete steps. That's why we met, that's why we discussed and that's what we agreed actually," he said.
He said preparations will begin with project documentation, calculations and feasibility studies, focusing on market demand and the development of appropriate regional capacity.
"So we will link these two elements. For this, our teams will work very closely," he said.
He also had a clear message for Turkish investors. "We are open and we welcome Turkish investors," Mirzamakhmudov said, pointing to strong political backing, an established system and available incentives.
Uzbekistan is ready to move into joint production and value-added manufacturing projects, including equipment, electrical components and cables, he said. In mining, he added, the country aims to cover the entire value chain and position itself as a regional hub.
"We work on a win-win basis," Mirzamakhmudov said. "We know what investors expect, and we're ready to work as one team."
By Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
