Uzbekistan Announces Potential $12 Billion in Deals After Rubio Visit
Uzbekistan announced investment deals covering various economic sectors potentially worth $12 billion following a high-level U.S. delegation visit led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the region, oilprice.com reported.
Samarkand Business Forum Yields Major Agreements
The delegation participated in a business forum in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on October 19. During that same day, Rubio convened with the top diplomats of all five Central Asian nations under the C5+1 framework and conducted bilateral discussions with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Uzbek officials said an action plan would be developed to ensure implementation of the agreements. Uzbekistan also announced its accession to the Artemis Accords, a U.S. initiative promoting peaceful space exploration.
Mirziyoyev praised the outcomes while admitting that Tashkent needed to take further steps toward making the nation’s investment environment increasingly predictable and transparent. He indicated that a U.S.-Uzbek business council would work to make systematic improvements. “Investors coming to Uzbekistan should be able to start doing business immediately, without wasting time on administrative procedures,” Mirziyoyev stated. He emphasized that bilateral relations had reached a qualitatively new level while noting plenty of room for growth.
Pleased to host the C5+1 Ministerial Meeting in #Samarkand with our Central Asian colleagues and U.S. Secretary of State H.E. @SecRubio, bringing together Uzbekistan 🇺🇿, Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬, Tajikistan 🇹🇯, Turkmenistan 🇹🇲, and the United States 🇺🇸 in the city where this… pic.twitter.com/QOnxTUcmsc
Kazakhstan Weighs Multi-Vector Diplomacy Against U.S. Trade Restrictions
Kazakhstan’s leadership expressed satisfaction with Rubio’s visit, although no specific U.S.-Kazakh business deals were announced. A commentary published by the Kazinform state news agency stated that Rubio’s Samarkand visit gave fresh momentum to U.S.-Central Asia ties. Astana welcomed assurances that the United States would not pursue a zero-sum economic policy forcing regional states to choose between American and Chinese models in digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Kazakhstan belongs to both Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative governing IT and AI development, and a similar Chinese-orchestrated grouping called WAICO.
The Kazinform commentary stressed that Rubio in Samarkand was not asking regional countries to abandon existing partnerships with Russia, China, or other powers, noting this approach aligns with Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy. However, Kazakh officials want the United States to repeal Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions. Rubio told journalists in Samarkand that the Republican-controlled Congress just has not gotten around to it, but expressed hope they will. According to Kazakh media, Rubio indicated he may visit Kazakhstan after the G20 gathering in Florida in mid-December, where Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Mirziyoyev are scheduled to participate.
Turkmenistan also expressed interest in expanding bilateral and regional ties, with its Foreign Ministry releasing a statement endorsing trans-Caspian initiatives and corporate activity. Meanwhile, as outlined in a joint statement issued after the meetings, the C5+1 framework established shared objectives without binding financial commitments. Kazakh media noted that the announced figures represent contracts and planned transactions rather than completed investments.
Dushanbe Engages Beijing as Regional Diplomacy Unfolds
On October 19, the same day Tajikistan’s foreign minister participated in the Samarkand discussions, Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon hosted China’s premier, Li Qiang, in Dushanbe. Pointing out that bilateral trade volume reached about $2.5 billion during the first eight months of 2026, Li stated that Beijing was ready to help Tajikistan implement priority projects, including artificial intelligence capabilities.