‘Qatar, Uzbekistan strengthen strategic partnership'

Doha, Qatar - Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Qatar, Dr. Ashraf Khodjaev, has announced that Uzbekistan and Qatar have strengthened their strategic partnership in recent years. The relationship, established in 1997, has seen rapid development and high-level visits, with cooperation in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, tourism, education, and culture.

A major milestone was the state visit of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar to Uzbekistan in June 2023, leading to the signing of 15 agreements and memoranda covering various sectors. This was followed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to Qatar in October 2023, where they agreed to further elevate bilateral relations and signed a new package of agreements.

In 2025, trade between the two nations increased by more than 30 percent, while Uzbekistan's exports to Qatar grew by over 36 percent. Both countries are working on expanding trade and establishing new mechanisms for business cooperation.

Uzbekistan has undergone significant economic reforms since gaining independence in 1991, with President Mirziyoyev's leadership accelerating the transformation of the economy. The World Bank describes these reforms as a major economic and social transformation, with Uzbekistan becoming one of the world's leading reformers among developing economies. Real GDP growth averaged approximately 6 percent annually between 2017 and 2025.

The Ambassador also highlighted Uzbekistan's efforts to eliminate child and forced labor in the cotton sector, which the International Labour Organization declared had come to an end in 2021. Uzbekistan maintains an open and pragmatic foreign policy, emphasizing good-neighbourly relations and Central Asian cooperation.