U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Jonathan Henick and Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Geology, Omonullo Nasritdinkhodjaev, signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation on critical minerals.
The signing occurred ahead of Uzbekistan’s participation in MINExpo INTERNATIONAL, the world’s largest mining industry event, scheduled for September 24-26 in Las Vegas, as reported by the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan.
At the recent C5+1 summit in New York, U.S. President Joe Biden, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan announced plans to launch a Critical Minerals Dialogue. The new memorandum emphasizes the commitment of both the United States and Uzbekistan to advance this initiative, foster economic cooperation, and stimulate investments that support the clean energy transition while safeguarding Central Asia’s unique ecosystems.
Critical minerals and rare earth elements are vital for clean energy technologies and are increasingly important to the economies of both nations. The U.S. is actively encouraging private sector investment in Uzbekistan’s mining sector. The memorandum also reflects a mutual goal of upholding high environmental, labor, and governance standards in the global mining industry.
Ambassador Henick stated, “The United States and Uzbekistan must collaborate to create resilient, secure supply chains that support the future energy landscape. This memorandum demonstrates our commitment to diversifying global mineral supply chains and enhancing our bilateral trade relationship. We are pleased to mark another milestone in our expanding Strategic Partnership with Uzbekistan.”
Earlier in April 2024, Uzbekistan and the European Union also signed a Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a strategic partnership on critical raw materials.
Uzbekistan boasts the second-largest reserves of critical raw materials in Central Asia, following Kazakhstan, with significant deposits of copper, molybdenum and gold. The country’s mining strategy aligns with its goals to enhance the processing of critical minerals for both domestic and international industries, particularly in the automotive and consumer electronics sectors.