Uzbekistan and Iran Discuss Expanding Trade, Investment and Transit Cooperation

According to Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Deputy Foreign Minister Bakhromjon Aloyev met Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Trade and Economic Affairs, Hamid Kanbari, in Tehran on August 17, 2026, to discuss expanding bilateral trade, investment and transport cooperation. The two sides emphasized increasing bilateral trade volumes, broadening the range of goods exchanged, and strengthening business-to-business contacts to identify new investment opportunities.

Particular attention was paid to improving the efficiency of existing transit routes and increasing cargo transportation volumes between the two countries. Uzbekistan, a double-landlocked country, is seeking to diversify access to international markets, while Iran is working to strengthen its role as a regional transit hub linking Central Asia to markets to the south and west. The talks form part of a broader push by both countries to deepen economic ties at a time when Iran, facing fresh US sanctions pressure, is looking to strengthen economic relations with Central Asian neighbors.