Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On January 14, 2026, the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Laziz Kudratov, took part in the Uzbekistan-Iraq Investment and Business Forum held in Tashkent. The forum became the first large-scale platform of its kind, bringing together the business communities of the two countries.

The forum was attended by more than 300 entrepreneurs and representatives of sectoral organizations from Uzbekistan and Iraq, as well as high-level official guests from the Iraqi side, including the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Iraq, Atir Dawood Al-Ghurairi, senior officials of the National Investment Commission, and the Iraqi Economic Council. From the Uzbek side, the event was attended by the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Davron Vakhabov.

The current forum became the second business forum in the history of Uzbek–Iraqi business cooperation. The first similar forum was held in Baghdad in December 2025, where the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan was represented by Deputy Minister Shokhrukh Gulamov. The consistent organization of such forums confirms the systematic nature of the dialogue between the business communities of the two countries and their commitment to moving from establishing contacts to the practical implementation of joint trade, economic, and investment initiatives.

In his address, Laziz Kudratov emphasized the significant potential of Uzbek–Iraqi trade and economic cooperation, as well as the strong interest of the business community in expanding direct contacts. Promising areas of cooperation include pharmaceuticals, production of construction materials, agriculture and processing, electrical engineering and automotive industries, food and furniture sectors, as well as the development of industrial cooperation and the establishment of joint manufacturing facilities.

Special attention during the discussions was given to the expansion of mutual trade and the diversification of trade turnover. The parties highlighted the strong potential for supplies of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment, construction materials, electrical and cable products, household appliances, agricultural and food products, including fruit and vegetable goods and processed products, as well as textiles, finished light industry goods, furniture, automotive components, and industrial equipment in demand in both markets.

As part of the forum, a signing ceremony of memorandums of understanding and commercial agreements was held, followed by B2B meetings that enabled entrepreneurs to discuss specific projects, export-import deliveries, and formats of long-term partnership.

The Uzbekistan–Iraq Business Forum reaffirmed the mutual interest of the parties in filling cooperation with practical content and became an important step toward strengthening sustainable trade and economic ties, investment cooperation, and industrial collaboration between Uzbekistan and Iraq.