Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. Stock image.
The United States has stepped up its global pursuit of strategic minerals as several of its companies have agreed to invest in Uzbekistan, a nation known for its gold and copper production and has vast reserves of critical minerals such as tungsten, lithium and vanadium.
An official statement issued by the Uzbek government confirmed that a delegation was in Washington earlier week to meet with US business executives. These meetings, according to the Uzbek investment ministry, yielded several agreements that would see these American companies invest in its natural resource sectors.
“These agreements encompass investments in the exploration and extraction of minerals, including the construction of grinding machinery and training for Uzbek specialists,” the statement reads.
Further details on the contracts, including their value, were not disclosed.
The announcement comes amid a series of diplomatic meetings between the two nations, including an April 9 meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov. “There’s great potential ahead for investments between our countries and cooperation in the critical minerals and other sectors,” Rubio wrote on his X account following the meeting.
Before that, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also held talks with Uzbekistan’s deputy chair of the Uzbek National Security Council, Abdulaziz Kamilov, on matters related to mining as well as nuclear power.
Uzbekistan has been looking to tap into its vast endowment resources, including many of the critical minerals being sought after by the US. Earlier this year, the Central Asian nation launched a $2.6 billion initiative to support the development of 76 mining projects covering 28 different elements.
“The main task is to extract valuable raw materials directly from ore using modern technologies, increase the purity of minerals and create products with high added value,” Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated at the time.
The US, meanwhile, wants to establish new strategic spheres in resource-rich regions such as Central Asia to counter China’s dominance in the critical minerals space.
In addition to Uzbekistan, the Trump administration has also set sights on the minerals wealth of Pakistan, and this week, a US delegation arrived in Islamabad to discuss such opportunities.
