A new joint geological exploration venture between Azerbaijan’s SOCAR and Uzbekistan’s Uzbekneftegaz was officially launched in Tashkent, attended by Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy announced.
The project, based on the agreement signed July 24, 2025, targets hydrocarbon development in Uzbekistan’s Ustyurt region.
The ceremony also marked the inauguration of several other energy initiatives involving partners from Türkiye, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and China.
In his remarks, Minister Shahbazov credited the close personal relationship between the two countries’ leaders for elevating bilateral ties to a strategic level. He highlighted Azerbaijan’s full membership in the Central Asian Heads of State Consultative Meeting and progress on the Zangezur Corridor as milestones in regional integration, with energy cooperation playing an increasingly central role.
Shahbazov described the SOCAR–Uzbekneftegaz Ustyurt project as a concrete manifestation of this partnership, fostering knowledge and technology exchange, reinforcing regional energy integration, and opening new avenues for collaboration in energy supply.
https://report.az/en/energy/socar-and-uzbekneftegaz-launch-joint-exploration-project-in-uzbekistan