Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me to represent the International Institute for Central Asia. Allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the organizers — the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies — for the invitation to take part in this important forum.

Today, BRICS plays an increasingly important role as one of the largest platforms for multidimensional and practical cooperation. The BRICS+ format, in particular, opens new opportunities for Uzbekistan. Since 2024, we have been actively establishing contacts and building cooperation with the key institutions of BRICS.

In June of this year, the President of Uzbekistan, H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, received the President of the BRICS New Development Bank, Dilma Rousseff. The Bank’s Board of Governors gave its preliminary approval for Uzbekistan’s accession. A program of priority joint projects totaling $5 billion has already been prepared.

Uzbekistan also intends to participate in BRICS joint initiatives through its Research Group on Artificial Intelligence, as well as to engage in the work of the BRICS Competence Center being created under the auspices of UNIDO.

Our country has already achieved notable progress in deepening cooperation with a number of BRICS members. In 2024, Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with China reached $14 billion, and in the coming years we plan to raise it to $20 billion. Today, China has become the largest trading partner of the Central Asian region, with trade volumes approaching $95 billion.

Partnership with Russia is advancing both bilaterally and within the framework of the CIS and the EAEU. In 2024, CIS countries accounted for 35.1% of Uzbekistan’s total foreign trade. As an observer in the EAEU, Uzbekistan recorded trade with EAEU member states at $17.5 billion, of which $11.6 billion was with Russia.

India has also become a key partner, intensifying cooperation with Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries both bilaterally and through the Central Asia–India dialogue format.

In recent years, the countries of our region have achieved substantial progress in trade and economic cooperation. Since 2017, the external trade turnover of Central Asian states has doubled, reaching nearly $225 billion, while intraregional trade has grown 4.5 times — from $2.4 billion to $11 billion. In this context, the prospective accession of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to the BRICS+ format could become an important driver of growth and integration for the entire region.

Uzbekistan is deeply interested in expanding trade and economic cooperation with BRICS members. We are confident that engagement within the BRICS+ mechanism will also strengthen our trade and investment ties with Brazil, South Africa, and other partners in this grouping.

The International Institute for Central Asia stands ready to engage in research partnerships, expert exchanges, and joint projects with BRICS countries.

Thank you for your attention.