Miles and milestones: Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s international visits in 2024

Do you remember when we discussed the travels of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the end of 2023? A year has passed since then, bringing many changes to the world, Uzbekistan, and our individual lives. While some celebrated milestones, others faced challenges. How was your year? Did you take the time to reflect and travel?  

As I mentioned before, travel is one of life's greatest pleasures. However, the journeys of presidents are far from leisurely. Every moment of their trips is meticulously planned—meetings scheduled, summits attended, and agreements signed.  

Before you share your travel stories from 2024, let’s take a closer look at the foreign visits of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the impressive distances he covered this year.  

January 2024 (5,881 km)

The year began with a state visit to Beijing, China, from January 23-25, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. Accompanied by First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, the President held high-level meetings with Premier Li Keqiang, Zhao Leji, Jin Liqun, and Dai Houliang.  

Following these engagements, the President and First Lady traveled 1,942 km from Beijing to Shenzhen, where they explored the activities of various enterprises. In total, the journey from Tashkent to Beijing (3,939 km) and onward to Shenzhen covered 5,881 km.

February 2024 (2,173 km)

In February, President Mirziyoyev made a working visit to Kazan, Russia, on February 21. During this trip, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attended the opening ceremony of the first international competition, "Future Games." The round-trip distance for this visit was 2,173 km.  

April 2024 (306 km)

After focusing on domestic visits in March, the President resumed international travel in April with a visit to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on April 18, at the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon.  

The official welcoming ceremony was held at the “Qasri Millat” Palace, followed by a bilateral meeting where an Agreement on Allied Relations was signed. The distance from Tashkent to Dushanbe is 306 km.  

May 2024 (2,792 km)
On May 8-9, the President traveled to Moscow, Russia, for a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. He also participated in events commemorating the 79th anniversary of Victory Day and held discussions with President Vladimir Putin.  

Leaders from other CIS states also attended the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. The trip from Tashkent to Moscow spanned 2,792 km.  

June 2024 (3,051 km)

The next stop on the President's diplomatic calendar was Ankara, Turkey, on June 6. Invited by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Mirziyoyev attended the third meeting of the Uzbek-Turkish High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.  

Accompanied by the First Lady, the President participated in official receptions, while their spouses engaged in parallel events. The distance from Tashkent to Ankara is 3,051 km.  

July 2024 (2,740 km)

The first visit was to Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3-4, where he participated in the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the "SCO Plus" meeting format. During this trip, the President held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The journey from Tashkent to Astana covered 1,109 km.  

Returning to Tashkent on July 4, the President departed for Azerbaijan the following day to attend the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Fuzuli. There, accompanied by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Mirziyoyev visited the city of Shusha and reviewed reconstruction efforts. The distance from Tashkent to Fuzuli was 1,631 km, bringing the total distance traveled in July to 2,740 km.  

August & September 2024 (2,218 km)

In both August and September, the President made identical trips to Astana, Kazakhstan, covering 1,109 km each way.  

From August 7-9, he attended the opening ceremony of the fifth World Nomad Games, where he was honored with the Order of the Golden Horn. On September 17, Mirziyoyev returned to Astana to participate in the Central Asia-Germany Summit. Both visits reinforced Uzbekistan’s regional and global partnerships.  

October 2024 (5,969 km)

On October 7-8, Mirziyoyev traveled to Moscow to attend the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The journey covered 2,792 km.  

Next, from October 10-12, he visited Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, at the invitation of President Serdar Berdimuhamedow to participate in the international forum commemorating the 300th anniversary of the poet Makhtumkuli Firugi. This trip spanned 1,004 km.  

Finally, the President visited Kazan, Russia, to attend the BRICS Summit, traveling 2,172 km. There, he held important discussions and was awarded the Order of Friendship by the Republic of Tatarstan.  

November 2024 (5,043 km)

On November 5, the President traveled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to attend the Turkic States Organization Summit, a 471 km trip. During the summit, he also held a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.  

A week later, on November 11, Mirziyoyev visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. He participated in an extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit and held discussions with senior Saudi officials, including Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Khalid Al-Falih. The journey from Tashkent to Riyadh covered 2,789 km.  

The President’s next stop was Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 12, where he attended the COP29 Summit and delivered a speech. He also held discussions with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, GEF Director-General Carlos Rodriguez, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The Riyadh-Baku leg of the trip added another 1,774 km to his travel log.  

December 2024 (3,363 km)

The year concluded with a visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 25-26, for the informal meeting of CIS heads of state. This trip, identical to his last visit of 2023, covered 3,363 km.  

In 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev traveled an impressive 33,536 km on international trips. Including return journeys, the total distance exceeded 70,000 km.  

These travels not only strengthened Uzbekistan’s diplomatic ties but also paved the way for future cooperation through summits, bilateral meetings, and signed agreements. Mirziyoyev’s active engagement on the global stage underscored Uzbekistan’s commitment to fostering partnerships and addressing international challenges.