US and Uzbekistan sign investment agreement during Rubio’s Central Asia visit
The two countries say the agreement would total $12 billion when implemented, as Washington seeks deeper commercial ties across Central Asia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Monday, 19 October, produced a US-Uzbekistan investment agreement that the two sides said would total $12 billion when implemented. Reuters reported the signing as Rubio met foreign ministers from five Central Asian countries, giving Washington a concrete agreement in its push for stronger commercial ties in the region.
The reported figure is the agreement’s stated value on implementation, not an amount already invested. The parties did not set out a sector-by-sector breakdown or timetable in the Reuters account. Rubio travelled with a large US business delegation: the Associated Press reported that he described representatives of almost 300 American businesses joining him, while Reuters said the State Department put the number at more than 200 business leaders.
Rubio’s talks with five Central Asian countries
Rubio met the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on Monday, Reuters reported. The Associated Press described the C5+1 format as a forum for the United States and those five countries to discuss security, trade and shared concerns. Rubio portrayed Central Asia as a crossroads for trade and a place for American investment and exports, according to AP.
In an interview with Euronews reporter Rushanabonu Aliakbarova in Samarkand, Rubio said US companies were preparing to announce agreements in Uzbekistan. Euronews reported that he also described plans to expand Washington’s economic presence in Central Asia and diversify supplies of critical minerals. Those planned commercial announcements are separate from the signed investment agreement reported by Reuters.
Uzbekistan’s wider ties and the Artemis Accords
Uzbekistan also signed the US-led Artemis Accords on Monday, Reuters reported. The accords set non-binding principles and legal guidelines for peaceful space exploration and resource management. Rubio told reporters that Uzbekistan wanted to maintain relationships with multiple countries; Reuters noted that all five Central Asian states retain significant diplomatic and commercial links with Russia and, to varying degrees, China and Iran.
Rubio had arrived in Samarkand on Sunday ahead of the talks, as covered in NewsJaws’ earlier report on his arrival. The investment agreement is the development since that visit began. Speaking to US business leaders on Monday evening, Rubio said Washington needed to build long-term relationships even while addressing immediate international crises, Reuters reported.
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Sources and context
- Rubio is in Uzbekistan to promote US ties and trade with Central AsiaThe Associated Press, republished by ABC News
- Rubio seeks to expand Central Asia ties with pomp-filled Uzbekistan visitReuters, republished by The Straits Times
- US is coming to Central Asia with deals to stay, Rubio tells EuronewsEuronews
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.