Today as part of his official visit, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held bilateral talks with the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
The summit at the Palace of Independence commenced with an official welcoming ceremony, featuring a guard of honor and the playing of both national anthems.
During the hea-to-head talks, Alexander Lukashenko expressed his delight at Shavkat Mirziyoyev's arrival, warmly referring to him as a "friend of the Belarusian people." "I told you then that we were looking forward to your arrival as a true friend of Belarus. We stand ready to do everything necessary to ensure this visit is a resounding success," the Belarusian president stated.
He further noted that Minsk and Tashkent share highly aligned approaches on core foreign policy priorities.
"We stand firmly for a multipolar world. We seek no interference with anyone. We prioritize our people's interests, just as Uzbekistan prioritizes its own. Yet, we are concurrently working very proactively to align our mutual interests," Lukashenko remarked.
He pointed out that Uzbekistan ranks among Belarus's top ten global trading partners and holds the third position within the CIS. "Years ago, during the tenure of your first president, I could only dream of achieving this level of partnership, but things didn't quite fall into place back then. Together, you and I have achieved this monumental breakthrough," he said.
The President of Belarus noted that while both nations previously aimed for a $1 billion trade turnover, they are now setting their sights on a $2 billion target. During the expanded-format negotiations, Lukashenko asserted that both countries possess the practical capabilities to achieve this benchmark by 2030.
To support this vision, he announced that the governments of both nations have formulated a comprehensive five-year roadmap for cooperation.
"To ensure our ambitious plans materialize, our governments have drafted a roadmap outlining the primary trajectories of our joint efforts for the next five years. It details specific volumes, itemized units, designated officials, and strict deadlines. Central to this strategy is industrial manufacturing cooperation, which contributes substantially to Uzbekistan's technological sovereignty," Lukashenko explained.
He also revealed that approximately 1,300 MTZ tractors were assembled in Uzbekistan over the past year, with localization rates for specific models projected to exceed 30% shortly. "We expect production to scale up to 3,000 units annually in the near future. A dedicated service network has already been established, and plans are underway to open a specialized corporate training center," the Belarusian president concluded.
Lukashenko specifically highlighted cooperation in the heavy machinery sector. He noted that the joint production of 130-ton BelAZ dump trucks has already been successfully established in Uzbekistan, adding that Belarus is fully prepared to transition to manufacturing 220-ton models.
"We need to keep moving forward in this direction. If we continue to receive the same strong support from your side in Uzbekistan, we will make this happen very quickly. Regarding tractor manufacturing, you mentioned yesterday that we can scale up to 3,000 units. We will also guarantee comprehensive maintenance and service. In short, we will elevate our entire engineering partnership to a level we can truly be proud of," he said.
The Belarusian leader also mentioned that the two nations are discussing expanding their joint ventures into third-country markets.
"It is vital that, alongside our bilateral ventures, your assistance enables us to break into third markets—especially those neighboring Uzbekistan. They have shown great interest, and we will work together on this, especially since the groundwork has already been laid," Lukashenko stated.
He identified agriculture and food processing among the most promising sectors for growth. According to him, Belarus is ready not only to supply its own goods but also to establish joint production facilities inside Uzbekistan—particularly in poultry and dairy processing.
Lukashenko recalled that their first major agricultural investment project was launched two years ago in the Tashkent region. It involved setting up a full-cycle poultry complex, covering everything from breeding hatching eggs to processing meat and distributing the final consumer products.
He also welcomed the interest of Uzbek businesses in establishing livestock complexes in the Vitebsk region. "For you, this offers an opportunity to produce and supply high-quality meat products back to Uzbekistan, while for Belarus, it means new jobs and rural development," the Belarusian president said.
According to him, the realization of such ventures will be greatly facilitated by Uzbekistan's recent accession to the CIS Agreement on Free Trade in Services, Establishment, Operation, and Investments. "We now have at our disposal not just bilateral, but also multilateral investment mechanisms," Lukashenko noted.
Furthermore, he expressed readiness to organize the supply of frozen beef, sugar, butter, and other commodities to meet the needs of Uzbekistan's state reserves.
The President of Belarus also extended an offer to advance cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and education.
"I was pleased to hear that you are satisfied with our healthcare system. None of your citizens who come here for medical treatment have ever complained about our hospitality. They return home healthy and well, thank God. We are making steady progress in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. This is our domain, and we stand ready to share our expertise, from training educational processes to rendering medical care," he stated.
Lukashenko thanked the Uzbek side for the ongoing cultural exchange, highlighting a recent concert in Minsk by Uzbekistan's master performers. "Our people were thoroughly delighted. For some, it was their first time realizing that Uzbekistan possesses such a sophisticated level of culture," he remarked.
The Belarusian president asserted that the signing of the Declaration on Establishing a Strategic Partnership between Belarus and Uzbekistan is a historic event that lends profound significance to the visit.
According to Lukashenko, Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the vital importance of his trip to Belarus immediately following their talks.
"The President just told me that the conversation we had in the narrow circle made the entire trip to Belarus worthwhile. This is because we have agreed on a fundamentally new approach to our relations across sectors that are highly sensitive for both Uzbekistan and Belarus," he said.
Ahead of Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s arrival, Minsk hosted the III Forum of Regions of Belarus and Uzbekistan. Lukashenko also recalled the Belarusian-Uzbek Women's Business Forum, which has already held three sessions under the auspices of the speakers of both parliaments' upper houses.
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