US and Uzbekistan Sign 54 Agreements Worth $12 Billion in Samarkand

At the second meeting of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council in Samarkand on October 19, the two sides finalized a package of 54 agreements and prospective initiatives with a combined value of approximately $12 billion. The meeting was attended by Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special presidential envoy Sergio Gore, and representatives of American companies.

The meeting took place alongside a ministerial conference of C5+1, which gave the bilateral economic dialogue a broader regional dimension. Tashkent seeks to attract technology and new sources of financing; Washington intends to expand its commercial presence in the region, where Chinese, Russian, European, and Middle Eastern investors are already active.

Rubio noted at the meeting the risks of excessive concentration in critical mineral supply chains. According to the US logic, expanding the circle of partners will help reduce dependence on a narrow number of suppliers. Uzbekistan, for its part, declares a course toward transitioning from extraction and export of raw materials to processing and production of high-value-added goods.

Mirziyoyev reported that 45 Uzbek ministries and departments participated in the preparatory work for the meeting, and American companies were matched with potential partners in government structures, regional administrations, and business. The $12 billion package represents agreements and intentions rather than already invested capital: between a signed document and an operating enterprise lie feasibility studies, financing decisions, permits, and infrastructure construction. The real outcome will be determined by launched production capacities, jobs created, and products manufactured.