Photo: press service of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade
U.S. business representatives who arrived in Samarkand as part of a delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio have signed 54 cooperation agreements with Uzbek partners. The deals are worth $12 billion, Gazeta.uz reports, citing Uzbekistan's Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade (MIIT).
The ministry added that the agreements span a range of sectors, including industry, transport and energy infrastructure, critical minerals, finance, digital technology, agriculture, healthcare and education. The contracts cover investment, technology and trade cooperation.
The MIIT press service cited several examples. Agreements with Franklin Templeton, Oppenheimer & Co., Citigroup and BlackRock are intended to help Uzbek companies access international capital markets, attract institutional investors and finance infrastructure projects.
A joint initiative with Wabtec aims to localize the production of railway equipment and components. Under the partnership with GE Aerospace, the American company will supply engines for Uzbekistan Airways' new aircraft.
Mining partnerships are secured through agreements with ReElement Technologies, Traxys and Trafigura. They cover the exploration and development of deposits, technology exchange and the supply of natural resources, including critical minerals.
In addition, contracts with Amazon Leo provide for the development of satellite communications, with GE HealthCare for the introduction of advanced medical technologies, and with Valmont Industries for improving agricultural efficiency.
The business program of the Central Asia–U.S. (C5+1) talks, held as part of Rubio's visit to Samarkand, began on October 19 with the Welcome & Orientation opening session. The event was organized by the Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade together with the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce.
In total, according to the MIIT, representatives of more than 400 companies are taking part in the business program: over 100 from the U.S., 100 from other Central Asian countries and 200 from Uzbekistan.
