Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan and the United States have assembled a package of 54 agreements and prospective initiatives worth approximately US$12 billion, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on 19 October in Samarkand at the second meeting of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council, attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to Mirziyoyev, extensive joint preparations involved 45 Uzbek ministries and government agencies. Each American company represented at the meeting was matched with a specific partner from government bodies, regional administrations or leading Uzbek businesses. The president proposed developing a comprehensive action plan to implement the projects.
“Relations between Uzbekistan and the United States have reached the highest level in the entire history of our cooperation,” Mirziyoyev said. He highlighted US President Donald Trump’s important role in this process and noted that Uzbekistan had no comparable cooperation mechanism with any other country. The council is co-chaired by Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, and Sergio Gor, the US president’s special envoy for South and Central Asia.
The president outlined three promising areas of cooperation. The first is critical minerals: Uzbekistan is ready to become a reliable US partner in this field and establish a complete production chain, from developing deposits and processing raw materials to manufacturing high-tech products. The second is energy, with American companies invited to participate in modernising the sector, including expanding renewable energy and energy storage systems. The third is digital technology and artificial intelligence, with the strategic goal of turning Uzbekistan into a regional hub for advanced technologies. Mirziyoyev highlighted opportunities to build data centres and noted that the country has nearly 10 million young people.
To improve the council’s effectiveness, the president proposed focusing on three priorities. The first is creating clear and predictable conditions for American investors. Uzbekistan is moving towards a “plug and play” model, offering projects with prepared sites, connected infrastructure and all necessary permits. Uzbek entrepreneurs are ready to share investment risks, and the established Direct Investment Fund can participate in such projects.
The second priority is moving beyond individual projects towards broader industrial partnerships, including joint clusters and research centres. The third is developing a joint programme for trade, investment and technological cooperation through 2035.
Rubio acknowledged that US foreign policy had long focused on crises while overlooking opportunities, including in Central Asia. He said the situation began changing a decade ago and that the process had accelerated under President Trump. The secretary of state recalled last year’s summit at the White House and the invitation extended to several countries in the region, including Uzbekistan, to attend the G20 summit in the United States at the end of this year as observers. More than 200 American business representatives had travelled to Samarkand, he said.
Rubio linked growing interest in Uzbekistan to the reforms implemented by Mirziyoyev. As an example, he cited the aviation sector: the country’s airports handled 15.5 million passengers last year, up 15% from the previous year, with nearly 10 million passing through Tashkent International Airport. Air freight volumes increased by 12% to 98,200 tonnes.
The secretary of state also outlined existing projects. The Colorado School of Mines is helping modernise the extraction and processing of critical minerals. Boeing and GE Aerospace supply engines, components and training for Uzbekistan’s airlines. Last year, Boeing sold Uzbekistan Airways 22 wide-body 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The University of Texas at Dallas is cooperating with the Samarkand Quantum Centre. The United States is also involved in introducing small modular reactors and modernising Uzbekistan’s electricity grids and gas distribution system.
Rubio further announced that AKFA Group was investing US$80 million in manufacturing operations in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This will be the first US manufacturing facility established by an Uzbek company.
Saida Mirziyoyeva noted that Uzbekistan was the first stop on Rubio’s first visit to Central Asia. Nearly 200 American companies came to Tashkent in June, setting a record, she said, while around 100 more arrived with the secretary of state four months later.
She pledged that every company would have a designated contact person and that any problems would be brought directly to the council’s co-chairs. Mirziyoyeva also recalled Rubio’s description of the Jackson-Vanik amendment as a relic of the Cold War. “We agree and would welcome its repeal,” she said.
Sergio Gor identified infrastructure to connect the region with global markets, critical minerals and emerging industries—including aerospace and superintelligence—as the council’s priorities. He said the United States was offering a partnership based on respect for sovereignty and the rule of law, contrasting it with partners that provide loans on opaque terms. Gor also said the United States expected the Uzbek president to attend the G20 summit in December.
Following the meeting, the parties exchanged documents on cooperation in transport, the chemical industry, geology and finance.