Pashinyan and Mirziyoyev discuss cooperation as Armenia-Uzbekistan trade more than doubles
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Avaza, Turkmenistan, on October 8 and stressed the importance of advancing cooperation projects in agriculture, the jewelry, light, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, and tourism. According to the Statistical Committee of Armenia, trade between the two countries grew 2.1-fold year on year in January-August 2026, reaching $53.9 million.
The press service of the President of Uzbekistan said the sides welcomed active contacts at various levels; the two countries recently held political consultations. Eighty companies with Armenian capital operate in Uzbekistan, and direct flights connect the two capitals. The sides stressed the need for a productive next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission and joint business events. They also discussed the international agenda and cooperation within multilateral organizations.
Armenian exports drove the growth. Over eight months, exports to Uzbekistan rose 4.5-fold to $34.4 million, while imports from Uzbekistan increased by 6.3% to $19.5 million. As a result, Armenia ran a trade surplus of $14.9 million with Uzbekistan, compared with a deficit of $10.8 million a year earlier. Uzbekistan accounts for 0.4% of Armenia’s foreign trade.
The product breakdown is available for the first half of the year. According to the State Revenue Committee, in January-June exports to Uzbekistan grew 3.5-fold to $20.6 million. More than half of that, $11.2 million, came from molybdenum ores and concentrates, which were not exported to Uzbekistan a year earlier. Medicines brought in $3.9 million (+28.4%), and fresh apricots, cherries, peaches and plums $3 million. A year earlier, phones and communications equipment were a notable export at $1.7 million; in 2026 these shipments almost stopped.
Imports from Uzbekistan rose by 12.3% in the first half to $14.3 million. The largest items were bread, biscuits and pastries ($1.3 million, up 2.4-fold), knitted gloves ($1.2 million), cigarettes ($1.2 million) and aluminium bars and profiles ($1.1 million, up 3.5-fold). Phosphate fertilizers ($630 thousand) were not imported a year earlier.
Top goods, first half of the year, thousand US dollars
| Product | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armenian exports to Uzbekistan | |||
| Molybdenum ores and concentrates | – | 11,184.7 | new item |
| Medicines | 3,004.0 | 3,857.2 | +28.4% |
| Fresh apricots, cherries, peaches, plums | – | 3,024.5 | new item |
| Mineral processing equipment | – | 622.8 | new item |
| Other fresh vegetables | – | 329.9 | new item |
| Tomatoes | – | 286.7 | new item |
| Spirits | 231.1 | 256.9 | +11.2% |
| Cigarettes | – | 240.6 | new item |
| Watches with precious-metal cases | 3.7 | 217.8 | 59-fold |
| Phones and communications equipment | 1,682.6 | 6.4 | −99.6% |
| Total exports | 5,917.8 | 20,562.6 | 3.5-fold |
| Armenian imports from Uzbekistan | |||
| Bread, biscuits, pastries | 534.5 | 1,302.1 | 2.4-fold |
| Knitted gloves | 1,113.8 | 1,216.6 | +9.2% |
| Cigarettes | 1,698.8 | 1,184.8 | −30.3% |
| Aluminium bars and profiles | 315.4 | 1,107.6 | 3.5-fold |
| TV sets and monitors | 1,128.0 | 1,061.0 | −5.9% |
| Knitted fabrics | 1,662.1 | 1,010.9 | −39.2% |
| Cotton yarn | 1,142.4 | 813.9 | −28.8% |
| Phosphate fertilizers | – | 630.1 | new item |
| Dried legumes | 451.8 | 581.0 | +28.6% |
| Chocolate and cocoa products | 147.3 | 348.0 | 2.4-fold |
| Total imports | 12,685.8 | 14,251.9 | +12.3% |
Source: State Revenue Committee of Armenia, preliminary data. Change compared with the same period a year earlier.
Of the sectors named at the meeting, pharmaceuticals is already Armenia’s second-largest export to Uzbekistan, while light industry goods such as cotton yarn, knitted fabrics and gloves make up a notable share of imports from Uzbekistan.
