Particular attention was paid to promoting specific projects for the extraction and processing of critical materials.
At the fifth annual Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF 2026), the United States announced the appointment of the first members of the U.S.-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council. The organization was established in April 2026 in Washington and serves as "the primary bilateral platform for accelerating trade and stimulating private sector investment" between the two countries.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan, the Council provides American companies with direct access to U.S. government financing, trade facilitation tools, and market development resources to implement large-scale projects in the Central Asian country.
"Uzbekistan has significant reserves of essential minerals needed for the development of American technology, defense, and energy sectors. The Council provides a direct mechanism for expanding U.S. access to these resources through transparent and mutually beneficial partnerships," the statement clarified.
The forum itself aims to "bring trade and economic relations between the two countries to a new level, expand investment cooperation in strategically important sectors, and create new jobs," noted the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan. The importance of cooperation with Washington was also mentioned by the head of the ministry, Laziz Kudratov, who stated that American business views the country "not only as a market but also as a long-term investment partner."
"The Tashkent International Investment Forum features 193 companies from the U.S. — this is an absolute record and the largest American business delegation in the history of bilateral relations between our countries," emphasized Kudratov.
During the forum, documents were signed in the areas of industrial development, oil and gas, finance, aviation, geological exploration, satellite communications, and digital infrastructure. The importance of U.S. cooperation with the region was separately mentioned by Ben Black, the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
"Central Asia is a dynamically developing region with a population of over 100 million people. We see enormous potential in the region, and the U.S. is ready for active and long-term cooperation with it," Black stated.
John Yovanovich, the chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), added that the participation of his financial institution would help to more actively introduce advanced technologies, services, and equipment into Uzbekistan's private sector.
The forum gathered 3,400 foreign delegates from 100 countries, including companies with assets totaling $42 trillion.
Before the forum itself, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with a delegation of leading U.S. companies — from Boeing and Visa to JP Morgan and Meta. Following the negotiations, a signing ceremony took place for the exchange of bilateral documents between the government of the Central Asian country and American businesses.
"Particular attention was paid to promoting specific projects for the extraction and processing of critical materials in the fields of energy, metallurgy, finance, artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and many others," is noted on the website of the President of Uzbekistan.
Earlier this year, a number of representatives from Uzbekistan signed agreements with the U.S. government investment agency, as well as American financial corporations for the construction of a gas station network in Uzbekistan, the development of critical mineral extraction, and the agro-industrial complex. At the end of 2025, the countries also concluded agreements worth $100 billion.
It was emphasized that the economic agenda is one of the key pillars of the strategic partnership between the two states. Leaders of American companies thanked the president for "creating favorable conditions for the fruitful activities of investors," as highlighted in the press release.
