Turkish, Uzbek leaders discuss regional issues, sign 5 bilateral agreements

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Thursday, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional and global issues and witnessed the signing of five agreements, according to the Communications Directorate.

The directorate said in an official statement that Erdogan said Türkiye and Uzbekistan would continue taking steps to further advance their relations, which are at the level of a high-level strategic partnership, in various fields, particularly trade, investment, mining, transportation, and the defense industry.

Erdogan also said he believes the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) will continue to grow stronger through new cooperation initiatives and expressed hope that the current OTS leaders' summit in Ankara, including both himself and Mirziyoyev, would serve as an important milestone in this process.

Erdogan also invited Mirziyoyev to the leaders' summit of the COP31 UN Climate Change Conference, set to be held on Nov. 11-12 in the southern Turkish city of Antalya.

Following the meeting, the leaders attended a signing ceremony for five agreements and protocols signed between the two countries.

5 agreements signed

According to the Turkish Presidency, the agreements and protocols covered trade, social security, transportation, the business community, and bilateral cooperation.

The first agreement was an additional protocol amending the March 29, 2022, protocol on the exchange of information concerning vehicles and goods crossing the borders of the two countries.

The second was a protocol amending the preferential trade agreement between Türkiye and Uzbekistan. The third was a social security agreement between the governments of Türkiye and Uzbekistan.

The fourth agreement was an administrative arrangement on the implementation of the social security agreement between the two governments.

The fifth was an agreement on establishing a High-Level Council on Enhancing the Business Community between the governments of Türkiye and Uzbekistan.