Uzbekistan has entered into significant multi-billion dollar agreements with the United States following a private bilateral meeting between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and US President Donald Trump. The meeting took place in the Oval Office on Thursday, just before the “C5+1 Summit” hosted at the White House. This summit brought together leaders from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the United States.
The C5+1 Summit initiative was launched in 2015 under then-US President Barack Obama. The first meeting of the group was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in November 2015. The event serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation among Central Asian nations and the United States.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump announced that Uzbekistan would be investing almost $35 billion and potentially over $100 billion in the next decade. These investments will target key sectors in the US, including critical minerals, aviation, automotive parts, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, chemicals, and information technology.
Trump praised the Uzbek leader, calling the trade and economic deal “incredible.” He described Mirziyoyev as “highly respected” and expressed hope for a long and productive relationship between the two countries.
The meeting also covered other areas of mutual interest, such as strengthening the strategic partnership between the US and Uzbekistan, enhancing political dialogue, and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, and cultural exchanges.
Both sides emphasized the importance of implementing agreements reached during their previous meeting in New York in September, which took place on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly High-level week.
During the meeting, President Mirziyoyev proposed around 10 key initiatives. These include:
- Establishing a permanent secretariat to ensure continuous coordination among member countries.
- Creating a coordination council focused on investment and trade to strengthen economic ties.
- Launching the Central Asian Investment Partnership Fund to attract and manage joint investments in key projects.
Mirziyoyev also suggested building better transport, communications, and energy infrastructure between Central Asia and Europe. Additionally, he proposed establishing a special committee to oversee the exploration, extraction, and processing of critical minerals.
The Uzbek leader also informed Trump that more efforts are needed to modernize the region’s agricultural technology through American innovation. He also called for promoting Uzbek cultural heritage in major US museums.
Sherzod Asadov, the press secretary to the president of Uzbekistan, stated: “I am confident that advanced American experience and technology, combined with the region’s skilled human resources, industrial capacity, and resource potential, can yield tangible results in the very near future.”
President Mirziyoyev, who also praised the US president for his leadership, concluded the negotiations by inviting Trump to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan at a mutually convenient time.