Kurdistan Region and Uzbekistan Deepen Trade Ties with Strategic Business Deals
Business leaders from both sides gathered in Tashkent to expand trade, investment, and long-term economic cooperation through a series of strategic agreements.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Region and Uzbekistan are preparing to sign a series of major economic agreements as business leaders and government representatives convene in Tashkent for a broad economic forum aimed at strengthening trade and investment ties.
The Kurdistan Region-Uzbekistan Economic Forum is being held on Saturday, in the Uzbek capital, bringing together public and private sector representatives from both sides to expand commercial cooperation and launch new strategic partnerships.
According to Kurdistan24 correspondent Kawar Salih, Uzbekistan views the Kurdistan Region as a gateway to the Middle East, while the Kurdistan Region seeks to serve as a bridge connecting Central Asia with the Middle East.
Nawzad Ghafoor, president of the Sulaimani Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Kurdistan24 that nearly 150 businesspeople from the Kurdistan Region are participating in the forum alongside 161 Uzbek business leaders and investors.
He said the Uzbek government is ready to share its expertise and experience across a range of sectors with the Kurdistan Region.
Ghafoor highlighted investment opportunities in chemical industries, agriculture, gold, mining, and manufacturing, describing them as areas with strong potential for joint cooperation.
He added that the forum will witness the signing of several major strategic agreements between companies from both sides, saying the partnerships are expected to generate mutual economic benefits for the people of the Kurdistan Region and Uzbekistan.
He also expressed confidence that trade between the two sides will continue to expand in the future.
Ghafoor said Uzbekistan has achieved significant success in attracting foreign investment, noting that total foreign investment in the country has reached $70 billion.
He added that investment laws have been streamlined to make it easier for foreign companies to operate and encouraged investors from the Kurdistan Region to explore opportunities in Uzbekistan's market.
Economic relations between the Kurdistan Region and Uzbekistan have steadily expanded over the past year.
In December 2025, an Uzbek business delegation visited the Kurdistan Region, where several memorandums of understanding were signed to promote private-sector cooperation and joint investment.
The current mission builds on that momentum. As previously reported by Kurdistan24, discussions have also focused on establishing an Uzbek Trade Center in Erbil, a project envisioned as a permanent commercial gateway to strengthen business links, facilitate trade, and encourage long-term investment between the Kurdistan Region and one of Central Asia's fastest-growing economies.
The planned trade center is expected to reinforce the Kurdistan Region's position as a regional commercial hub connecting the Middle East with Central Asia while providing businesses from both markets with greater institutional support and direct access to new opportunities.
The Tashkent forum marks another step in the expanding economic partnership between the Kurdistan Region and Uzbekistan, with both sides seeking to translate growing commercial dialogue into long-term investment, strategic agreements, and deeper regional connectivity.