Uzbekistan said agreements worth $12 billion were signed at a bilateral business council meeting Monday as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pursued deeper commercial ties across Central Asia.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s office announced the figure after the second meeting of the Uzbekistan–U.S. Business and Investment Council in Samarkand. It represents the stated value of signed agreements, rather than investment already completed.
At a separate regional business forum, Rubio had described billions in possible regional deals without giving a value for signed agreements there. The $12 billion figure came from Uzbekistan’s announcement about the bilateral council meeting.
Rubio also met foreign ministers from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In a joint statement with the United States, the five countries listed development of the Trans-Caspian Trade Route, better transport connections and harmonized customs procedures as related priorities.
The statement envisioned wider opportunities for mineral extraction and processing, including more production of value-added goods within Central Asia. It identified potential opportunities for U.S. companies and Central Asian exporters but assigned no funding to individual projects and set no implementation timetable.
Rubio told reporters that U.S. companies wanted “fair competition and an opportunity.” He also acknowledged Uzbekistan’s interest in maintaining relationships with other countries. Reuters reported that all five Central Asian states have significant commercial and diplomatic ties with Russia, while their relationships with China and Iran vary.
The State Department said more than 200 U.S. business leaders traveled with Rubio. Reuters reported that Uzbek hosts presented flowers when he arrived and later played music and released pigeons during his visit to Registan Square.
Uzbekistan also signed the Artemis Accords during the visit. The U.S.-led accords set nonbinding principles for peaceful activity in space, including the use of space resources.
