Uzbekistan proposes building a ‘spiritual bridge’ between Kul Sharif and the Mausoleum of Imam al-Bukhari

Uzbekistan needs Tatarstan’s robots

The anniversary meeting of the Commission for Cooperation between the Federation Council of Russia and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan took place today in Kazan. As participants humorously noted, no interpreter is needed for Tatars and Uzbeks — the two peoples are united by linguistic kinship and a similar mentality.

“Trade and economic cooperation is showing steady growth. Unfortunately, the figures are currently classified, but if we analyse the data over the past ten years, our trade turnover has more than doubled. For 2024, this figure amounts to $376.5 million,” said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan German Lerner during the meeting.

He recalled that Tatarstan cooperates with its partners in various sectors — oil and gas chemistry (Tatneft filling stations have been opened in Uzbekistan), energy (KER-Holding’s products are in demand in the East), mechanical engineering (a joint KAMAZ–UzAuto Trailer production facility operates), and medicine (Kazan supplies Tattekhmedpharm’s products). In particular, Tatarstan equips Uzbek educational and medical centres with simulation equipment — “our robots,” Lerner emphasised.

In addition, two technology parks currently operate in Uzbekistan, established jointly with the republic. According to the speaker, more than half of the products from the Chirchik complex are exported outside Uzbekistan. The revenue of the sites has increased almost fourfold compared to 2023. “This is a very good indicator,” Lerner said confidently.

Two more projects — the Bukhara and Navoi Industrial Development Complexes — are now being prepared for opening. The total volume of investments declared by future residents amounts to around $200 million. The progress of the projects is personally supervised by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade assured.

New flights to Samarkand and Bukhara, training of religious studies guides

According to Sergey Ivanov, Chairman of the State Committee of Tatarstan for Tourism, cooperation with Uzbekistan in the hospitality sector is very active.

“I see the emotions with which our residents return from Uzbekistan. It is, of course, a great achievement of the republic — the creation of such a tourism product and the development of tourism potential. And naturally, we see a large number of Uzbek citizens studying at our universities and beginning to visit as tourists,” he added.

As for tourist flows between Uzbekistan and Russia in general, they are showing steady growth, said Malika Kadirkhanova, member of the Senate Committee on Youth, Women, Culture and Sports. Last year, 873,000 guests from Russia visited the republic. Almost as many — 800,000 — Uzbekistan welcomed in the first nine months of 2025. According to the speaker, such results were achieved thanks to simplified visa procedures and an increase in flight frequency.

Promising areas for cooperation, she noted, include:

• development of joint tourist routes devoted to the cultural heritage of the Silk Road;
• mutual promotion of tourism in the regions, particularly between Tatarstan and Bukhara;
• activation of investment and digital solutions in tourism, including cooperation with Sberbank in the field of payment systems;
• organisation of charter flights from Russian regions directly to Bukhara and Samarkand;
• joint training of religious studies guides based on Uzbekistan’s spiritual institutions.

Malika Kadirkhanova emphasised the need to develop pilgrimage tourism. According to her, a permanent pilgrimage corridor Kazan–Bukhara–Samarkand could become “a spiritual bridge connecting the Kul Sharif Mosque with the mausoleum of Imam al-Bukhari in Samarkand, with mandatory visits to the new Centre of Islamic Civilisation in Tashkent.”

Since 2016, a profound transformation of bilateral relations has taken place

Relations between Russia and Uzbekistan have gained momentum in recent years, participants of the meeting noted.

“Since 2016, there has been a fundamental transformation in the nature and substance of our bilateral relations; they have risen to the level of strategic, allied partnership. The dialogue between our countries’ leaders has acquired a very close and trusting character. On this foundation, we are now seeing dynamic development across the full spectrum of cooperation,” said First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis Sodik Safaev.

According to him, direct relations with regions are also developing. “Naturally, ties with Tatarstan are of great importance to us. It is a major exporter for Uzbekistan,” said the speaker.

“For us, Uzbekistan is a close neighbour, a time-tested friend, and a reliable ally. In recent years, our countries have accumulated unique experience of equal and dynamic partnership. Above all, this is the merit of the national leaders of our states — Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Within the framework of state visits, the shared commitment to actively develop comprehensive cooperation has been reaffirmed,” stressed Co-Chairman of the Commission Ilyas Umakhanov.

In addition to addressing key political issues, it is important to discuss opportunities for expanding regional dialogue, said Chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin.

“Kazan is one of the most ancient cities of Eurasia, destined to become the historical frontier between West and East, a crossroads of civilisations, a place of concentration of cultures and worldviews. For us, this is a tremendous responsibility and a historic event. We in Tatarstan actively support the dialogue between the federal centre and partners in the CIS states,” he believes.