July 3, 2026 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid his first-ever state visit to Georgia on July 2–3, during which the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement.

The agreement makes Uzbekistan the second Central Asian country to establish a strategic partnership with Georgia, following a similar agreement with Kazakhstan on June 30 during a Georgian Dream cabinet visit to Astana.

The visit and the strategic partnership come amid Tbilisi’s intensified engagement with the Central Asia region and follow a series of trips by Georgian Dream ministers, led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan over three consecutive weeks in June, with a visit by the President of Turkmenistan to Tbilisi also expected soon.

It also comes amid growing attention to the Middle Corridor, a trade route connecting Asia and Europe while bypassing Russia, as well as Tbilisi’s strained relations and largely frozen ties with its traditional Western partners, including the United States, which suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia in November 2024, and the European Union.

Mirziyoyev, accompanied by a state delegation, arrived at Tbilisi International Airport on July 2, where he was received by Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili. He was then welcomed at a ceremonial reception at the Orbeliani Presidential Palace in downtown Tbilisi by Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili, while GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze later hosted him for an official dinner, and the two officials took a joint ride on the Tbilisi Funicular Railway.

Meeting with Kavelashvili

During a one-on-one meeting between Kavelashvili and Mirziyoyev, the talks focused on the establishment of a strategic partnership, according to a statement published on Kavelashvili’s social media page.

“We discussed the opportunities that the strategic partnership creates both for bilateral relations and for strengthening connectivity between the South Caucasus and Central Asia,” Kavelashvili wrote. “In this process, the development of the Middle Corridor is of particular importance, as it serves as a key foundation for economic cooperation and sustainable development across our regions,” he added.

Kavelashvili further said he thanked his counterpart for Uzbekistan’s “unwavering support” for Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-recognition policy. He also noted that he presented Mirziyoyev with Georgia’s state award, the Order of the Golden Fleece, “in recognition of his contribution to deepening bilateral relations.”

Meetings with Kobakhidze

On July 3, Mirziyoyev and Kobakhidze held a bilateral meeting, during which they discussed the “growing dynamics” of cooperation between the two countries, according to the Georgian government’s press office.

The press office said Kobakhidze described Mirziyoyev’s first visit to Georgia as an important step toward “further deepening bilateral relations.” He added that the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement would take ties to a “qualitatively new stage” and foster closer political, economic, trade, and cultural ties.

The meeting also focused on cooperation in transport and logistics, with the press release noting that regional connectivity and infrastructure development were described as “one of the strategic priorities of cooperation between the two countries.” The two sides also discussed the importance of strengthening the Middle Corridor as a “reliable and competitive” transit route, according to the government administration.

Expanded Meeting with Georgian Officials

Following their face-to-face meeting, the sides also held expanded-format talks at the Georgian government administration, during which they discussed “important issues” in bilateral relations and said the Strategic Partnership Agreement would create “new opportunities” for cooperation in political, trade-economic, investment, scientific, technical, cultural, humanitarian, and other fields.

Kobakhidze said Georgia “highly values its partnership with Uzbekistan,” which he described as “not only a reliable and important partner, but also a friend.” He said the joint declaration on strategic partnership would “elevate relations to a new level,” strengthen regional trade flows, support transport corridors, and promote broader economic integration.

Mirziyoyev was quoted by the government’s press release as thanking the Georgian side for the “warm welcome” and said raising Georgian-Uzbek relations to the level of strategic partnership was “a great achievement.” He praised Georgia’s “impressive economic accomplishments,” saying that, despite the global economic situation, such results reflected the government’s “consistent and effective work.” He described Georgia as “an important partner and reliable pillar” for Uzbekistan in the South Caucasus, adding that bilateral cooperation has been developing “dynamically” in recent years and that “this is only the beginning.”

Signing of Strategic Partnership Agreement

Kobakhidze and Mirziyoyev then signed a Joint Declaration, “under which relations between the two countries are elevated to the level of a strategic partnership,” the Government Administration reported.

“Following expanded-format talks between members of the two governments, memorandums of cooperation were also signed between the relevant Georgian and Uzbek agencies in the fields of economy, healthcare, environmental protection and agriculture, finance, customs, education, information and communication technologies, and culture,” the official press release added.

The visit ended on July 3, with Georgian Dream officials, including PM Irakli Kobakhidze, Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, bidding Uzbekistan’s president farewell at Tbilisi airport.

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