The Chairman of "Uzbekneftegaz," Bahodirjon Sidikov, and the President of the Azerbaijani company SOCAR, Rovshan Najaf, signed an agreement on fundamental principles aimed at expanding and deepening cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

At the Uzbek-Azerbaijani business forum, held ahead of the state visit of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, the Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, announced the start of SOCAR's geological exploration on the Ustyurt Plateau.

"Together with SOCAR, we are beginning geological exploration on the Ustyurt Plateau in Uzbekistan. I am confident that this is only the beginning of our comprehensive strategic cooperation in the energy sector," he stated.

The head of the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade also discussed plans for the development and processing of mineral resources on Azerbaijani territory, including the production of building materials for reconstruction work in Karabakh.

Additionally, the Uzbek official invited Azerbaijani companies to participate in the development of non-ferrous metal deposits, including copper.