BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 1. Uzbekistan’s
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has proposed creating an SCO
Industrial Cooperation Map to connect special economic zones,
production facilities, markets and logistics networks across member
states, Trend's
special correspondent reports.
The proposal was put forward during the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization’s 25th-anniversary summit in Bishkek as Uzbekistan
called for a stronger economic dimension to the organization’s
cooperation.
Mirziyoyev said the proposed map should operate as a unified
digital platform for businesses, investors and government agencies,
helping identify industrial opportunities, connect producers with
markets and facilitate investment projects across SCO
countries.
“The main goal should be to create an interconnected and
sustainable space where investment, technology and knowledge can
move freely, large infrastructure and industrial projects can be
implemented, and direct ties between regions, businesses and people
can expand,” Mirziyoyev said.
The initiative is part of Uzbekistan’s broader proposal to
develop a long-term “SCO–2040” vision aimed at creating a more
interconnected and sustainable economic space.
Mirziyoyev also proposed that the SCO Council of Heads of
Government begin selecting a portfolio of projects in
transportation, energy, industrial cooperation and digital
infrastructure for implementation with the practical launch of an
SCO Development Bank.
For Uzbekistan, industrial cooperation within the SCO could
provide a mechanism to connect its manufacturing base and special
economic zones with larger regional markets while attracting
additional investment and technology. The country has been
strengthening economic ties with SCO members, with investment from
SCO countries reaching $17.5 billion in Uzbekistan in 2025.
The proposed industrial map could also help move cooperation
beyond individual bilateral projects toward more integrated
production and supply chains. This would be particularly relevant
for Uzbekistan as it seeks to expand industrial exports, develop
regional production hubs and improve connectivity with major
markets in China, Russia, India and other SCO economies.
The proposal reflects Tashkent’s broader effort to use the SCO
as a platform for practical economic integration, with industrial
cooperation, transport connectivity, investment and digital
infrastructure increasingly placed alongside traditional areas of
regional cooperation.
