A proposal has been put forward to explore linking the newly launched Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway with the Chinese–Kyrgyz–Uzbek railway line currently under construction. The matter was discussed on July 3 during talks between delegations led by Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Irakli Kobakhidze first held talks in a narrow format. At the start of the meeting, the head of state noted that this state visit — the Uzbek president's first to Georgia in more than 20 years — carries special significance in elevating Uzbek-Georgian relations to a qualitatively new level.
Trade turnover between the two countries reached $270 million last year and has already exceeded $100 million since the start of this year. The sides agreed to adopt a "roadmap" aimed at bringing this figure up to $1 billion in the coming years, correcting the trade imbalance, and boosting the supply of high-demand goods between the two countries through mutual industrial exhibitions.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev welcomed the launch of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, which connects Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. He proposed exploring the possibility of linking it with the Chinese–Kyrgyz–Uzbek railway line currently under construction. Construction of the China–Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan railway is expected to be completed two years ahead of schedule.
