Türkiye seeks to improve trade relations with Uzbekistan to higher levels through the efforts of its private sector, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said on Tuesday while addressing the forum in the capital, Ankara.

"Türkiye ranks third among the countries where Uzbekistan exports the most and fifth in imports. We will move these ranks to higher levels with the efforts of our private sector," Yılmaz said in an address to the Türkiye-Uzbekistan Business Forum.

He said the forum convenes the two countries' business world and serves as a platform where businesspeople can engage in new connections.

Yılmaz also said Türkiye and Uzbekistan elevated bilateral relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership through joint efforts.

Türkiye's bilateral trade with Uzbekistan reached $3.5 billion (TL 108.2 billion) in 2022, and its investments in Uzbekistan amounted to $1.5 billion with over 1,700 Turkish companies operating in various parts of Uzbekistan, according to the vice president.

Furthermore, Yılmaz said that with the contributions of businesspeople, they would reach the $5 billion trade volume target set by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as soon as possible and set new targets.

He also noted that the Preferential Trade Agreement, which entered into force in July, was an important step in this context.

Later on Tuesday, Yılmaz and Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov held one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings at the Presidential Complex.

Following the meetings, the seventh meeting of the Türkiye-Uzbekistan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was held under the chairmanship of Yılmaz and Kuchkarov.

Within the scope of the commission meeting, two countries inked seven agreements on cooperation.