By Mushvig Mammadli is a Member of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) .
To view President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to Uzbekistan merely as another stage in the relations between two brotherly nations would significantly underestimate its geopolitical scope. In reality, the rapidly deepening rapprochement between Baku and Tashkent has become an important element of the emerging architecture of power, connectivity, and cooperation across Eurasia.
The most significant outcome of the visit was undoubtedly the signing by President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Treaty on Eternal Friendship between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In diplomacy, words are rarely chosen by accident. In this context, the use of the word “eternal” in the title of the treaty carries particular political significance.
Why “Eternal”?
Interstate relations are usually described through such concepts as “cooperation,” “strategic partnership,” “comprehensive strategic partnership,” or “alliance.” Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have already passed through most of these stages. In 2024, the two countries signed the Declaration on Deepening Strategic Partnership, while in 2025 the Treaty on Allied Relations elevated their bilateral ties to the highest political and legal level.
President Ilham Aliyev has also emphasized that relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have reached “the highest level — that of alliance.”
Therefore, the phrase “eternal friendship” should not be regarded merely as an emotional or symbolic expression.
Its principal message is clear: Baku–Tashkent relations are not intended to depend on individual governments, temporary international circumstances, or changing balances of power in the region.
In other words, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are seeking to establish their strategic relationship as a long-term and enduring element of interstate relations.
The fact that this agreement has been described as unprecedented in Azerbaijan’s diplomatic practice further illustrates its significance. A friendship rooted in history and in the will of the two peoples is now being institutionalized at the highest political level.
The Caspian No Longer Divides — It Connects
The broader geopolitical dimension of these developments lies in the fundamental transformation of relations between Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
For decades, the South Caucasus and Central Asia were largely viewed in international politics as separate geopolitical regions. That perception is rapidly becoming outdated.
President Ilham Aliyev has articulated a fundamentally different geopolitical vision: Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia constitute a common historical, cultural, geographical, and geopolitical space, while the Caspian Sea should be seen not as a dividing line, but as a factor that connects them.
This represents, in essence, a new regional concept.
Azerbaijan serves as Central Asia’s gateway toward the West. Uzbekistan, with a population exceeding 38 million, its economic potential, strategic geographical position, and growing political influence, is one of the principal centers of power in Central Asia. As the strategic partnership between Baku and Tashkent deepens, the Central Asia–Caspian Sea–Azerbaijan–Türkiye–Europe geography is increasingly developing into an interconnected political and economic space.
The Political Pillars of the Middle Corridor
One of the most practical dimensions of this rapprochement is the Middle Corridor. At a time when traditional transportation and supply chains are increasingly exposed to geopolitical risks, the route connecting China and Central Asia with Europe through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye is acquiring growing strategic importance.
Azerbaijan’s role in this process goes far beyond that of a transit country. The Port of Baku and the Alat logistics infrastructure, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, and the emerging connectivity opportunities through the Zangezur route are strengthening Azerbaijan’s position as a critical link in Eurasia’s East–West connectivity architecture.
For Uzbekistan, access to diversified, reliable, and secure transportation routes is equally a strategic priority.
The results are already visible in trade and transit figures. Transit transportation between the two countries has continued to increase, demonstrating that political rapprochement is being supported by the emergence of a tangible new economic geography.
Thus, the Baku–Tashkent partnership is not simply a diplomatic project. It is increasingly underpinned by infrastructure, investment, trade, and shared economic interests.
A New Center of Gravity in the Turkic World
The third major dimension of Azerbaijan–Uzbekistan rapprochement concerns the Turkic world. The future of the Organization of Turkic States cannot rest solely on common history, language, and cultural identity. Sustainable integration requires transportation corridors, mutual investment, energy connectivity, industrial cooperation, and, most importantly, shared strategic interests.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are increasingly becoming two of the leading states shaping precisely this model.
An important point should be emphasized: this emerging model of cooperation is not directed against any third country and does not seek to create a confrontational geopolitical bloc. On the contrary, both Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are developing relations with various global centers of power while simultaneously strengthening their own strategic autonomy. This reflects the diplomacy of an increasingly multipolar world: not choosing between major powers, but creating one’s own space of influence, connectivity, and cooperation. What
Does the Baku–Tashkent Axis Change?
Today, Azerbaijan is one of the most active political and economic actors in the South Caucasus, while Uzbekistan plays an increasingly influential role in Central Asia. Their deepening partnership creates a new strategic bridge connecting the two shores of the Caspian Sea.
From this perspective, President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Uzbekistan should not be viewed solely as a historic milestone in bilateral relations. It is part of a much broader process — the gradual transformation of the South Caucasus and Central Asia into an increasingly interconnected geoeconomic and geopolitical space.
This is precisely why the word “eternal” deserves particular attention.
It is not merely a reference to the past. It is a political message about the future.
Baku and Tashkent are signaling that their strategic rapprochement is not a temporary alliance created by the current international environment. Behind this partnership stand historical ties, shared cultural identity, and mutual trust; ahead of it lie common economic interests, transportation arteries, investment projects, and joint participation in shaping Eurasia’s future architecture.
In this sense, “eternal friendship” is more than the diplomatic expression of historical closeness — it is a geopolitical commitment to the future.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are no longer simply two friendly states. By connecting the two shores of the Caspian Sea, they are increasingly emerging as key pillars of a new strategic space taking shape across Eurasia.
