Photo: Akimat of Turkestan region

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. Trade turnover between Kazakhstan's Turkestan region and Uzbekistan exceeded $511 million by the end of 2025, surging by 109 percent compared to the previous year, according to the press service of the regional governor's office (akimat).

The figures were announced by the Governor of Turkestan region, Nuralkhan Kusherov, during the first meeting of the Council of Regional Leaders of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan held in Aktau.

"Turkestan region plays an active role in developing bilateral trade. Our goal is not only to boost trade volume, but also to increase the number of joint ventures and expand the production of high-value-added goods. Currently, six investment projects worth a total of $234 million are being implemented within the Central Asia International Center for Industrial Cooperation. These projects will enable the launch of new manufacturing facilities and create hundreds of jobs," Kusherov said.

Furthermore, new projects totaling $73 million involving Uzbek capital are currently underway in the Turkestan region. These investments cover drip irrigation system manufacturing, the establishment of a meat cluster, aquaculture development, tourism infrastructure, and metal processing.

As part of the "Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan: Joint Projects and New Growth Opportunities" forum held alongside the council meeting, the regional administration signed investment memorandums worth $78 million with Uzbek partners.

The largest contract under the signed agreements includes a $47 million metal processing plant, which will produce corrugated sheets, metal pipes, sandwich panels, and light steel thin-walled structures (LSTK).

Additional agreements include the construction of a sunflower oil processing plant worth $2 million, export supply agreements for deep-processed corn products valued at $5 million, and two $12 million projects aimed at promoting meat complex products in international markets and establishing a modern carp farming enterprise.