U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick and First Deputy Minister of Geology of Uzbekistan, Omonullo Nasritdinkhodjaev on September 16 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Uzbekistan on critical minerals. The signing ceremony took place on the eve of the Government of Uzbekistan’s participation in MINExpo INTERNATIONAL, the mining industry’s largest global event, which will take place on September 24-26 in Las Vegas.
At the September 2023 Presidential Summit in New York, U.S. President Joe Biden, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the presidents of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan announced their intention to launch a Critical Minerals Dialogue. This MOU signifies the intention of the United States and Uzbekistan to advance this effort, strengthen economic cooperation and catalyze investment that advances the clean energy transition, while protecting Central Asia’s unique ecosystems.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan, critical minerals and rare earth elements are essential for clean energy and other technologies and play an increasingly important role in the economies of the United States and Uzbekistan. The United States is actively working to encourage private sector investment in Uzbekistan’s mining sector.
“The United States and Uzbekistan must cooperate to have resilient, secure supply chains that can support the future energy landscape. This memorandum demonstrates our shared commitment to diversifying global mineral supply chains and expanding our bilateral trade relationship. We are delighted to mark another milestone in our expanding Strategic Partnership with Uzbekistan,” Ambassador Henick commented.
