Late Thursday, President Trump announced a significant trade agreement between Uzbekistan and the United States.
According to Trump, Uzbekistan is set to invest nearly $35 billion in various U.S. sectors over the next three years. This includes areas like critical minerals, aviation, auto parts, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, chemicals, and information technology. In total, this investment could exceed $100 billion over the next decade.
Trump expressed his appreciation for Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and mentioned, “I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship between our two countries.”
This announcement follows a meeting at the White House where Trump hosted leaders from five Central Asian nations, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The discussion revolved around rare earth metals essential for high-tech products like smartphones and electric cars.
“These countries were once part of the ancient Silk Road connecting East and West,” Trump noted, adding, “Sadly, successive American presidents have completely ignored this region.”
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Ambassador to India Sergio Gol, who also acts as Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, recently visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to prepare for the summit.
Strengthening ties with Central Asian nations remains a priority for the Trump administration.
This meeting took place a few months after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) returned over 130 Central Asian immigrants to Uzbekistan without proper documentation. The U.S. and Uzbek governments worked together to facilitate the deportation of more than 100 individuals from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem commended President Mirziyoyev for his role in sending flights to repatriate those individuals, stating, “We look forward to continuing to cooperate with Uzbekistan in our efforts to strengthen mutual security and uphold the rule of law.”
According to DHS, Uzbekistan “fully funded” these deportations earlier this year.
