Uzbekistan and Belarus have agreed to hold joint tourism, healthcare and education forums before the end of 2026 following high-level talks in Minsk between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President Aleksandr Lukashenko aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was officially welcomed at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, where he held talks with President Aleksandr Lukashenko in both restricted and expanded formats as part of his official visit to Belarus.
Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan-Belarus relations have entered a qualitatively new stage in recent years, highlighting the successful preparations for the visit, including meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission and Business Council, political consultations, expert discussions and the Days of Uzbek Culture held in Belarus.
The two leaders welcomed a jointly agreed roadmap to increase bilateral trade to $2bn, following continued growth in economic ties. Cooperation projects are expected to expand across agriculture, machinery manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, electrical engineering, light industry, furniture production and other industrial sectors.
Uzbekistan also expressed interest in exchanging experience with Belarus in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the development of related infrastructure.
The presidents praised the outcomes of the third Uzbekistan–Belarus Regional Forum, held in Minsk a day earlier, where a substantial package of trade contracts and investment agreements was signed.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation within international organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Mirziyoyev thanked Lukashenko for the initiative to establish an Uzbekistan–Belarus Friendship Park in Minsk, noting that cultural and humanitarian cooperation remains an important pillar of bilateral relations.
The two countries also agreed to continue strengthening people-to-people ties through the joint tourism, healthcare and education forums scheduled to take place before the end of this year.
At the conclusion of the talks, Mirziyoyev invited Lukashenko to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan.
