Economic ties with Uzbekistan enters new level, Mishustin says

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 17. Economic cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan has reached a “fundamentally new level,” Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Wednesday, Trend's special correspondent reports.

Speaking at the opening of the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum (Tashkent International Investment Forum 2026), Mishustin said bilateral ties are expanding across industry, agriculture, energy, and regional investment projects.

He said economic engagement between the two countries has deepened significantly, with industrial cooperation growing and interregional links strengthening.

Agricultural trade, he noted, rose nearly 50% in the first four months of the year compared to the same period last year, underscoring what he described as improving food security cooperation.

Mishustin added that Russia remains one of the largest foreign investors in Uzbekistan, with roughly 3,000 Russian companies operating in the country and about 150 major investment projects underway, totaling more than 4 trillion rubles.

Energy cooperation remains a central pillar of the partnership, he said, citing joint work on oil and gas development, modernization of the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline system, and participation in major hydropower projects in Uzbekistan.

He also pointed to the establishment of a joint drilling control center and ongoing development of new hydrocarbon fields, as well as Russian engineering involvement in large-scale hydropower construction.

“The Russian government is absolutely committed to strengthening trade and economic cooperation with Uzbekistan,” Mishustin said, adding that expanded business activity is helping create jobs and increase industrial output.

The remarks came during TIIF 2026, a major investment platform in Uzbekistan that brings together government officials, investors, and international financial institutions to discuss economic cooperation and regional integration.