Uzbekistan - The Times Of Central Asia

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U.S.-Uzbekistan Relations

Uzbekistan’s U.S. Package: What Supports the $12 Billion Figure?

Uzbekistan announced a package of 54 agreements and prospective initiatives that it valued at about $12 billion during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Samarkand on October 19. The Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade lists engine supplies from GE Aerospace for new Uzbekistan Airways aircraft as part of the package. The investment ministry makes that value conditional on implementation. The presidency’s account says a comprehensive implementation program will be developed for the agreements and initiatives. October’s $12 billion may include projects still awaiting finance or development, but the values assigned to them must have an identifiable basis in project estimates or specific transactions. The official announcements identify counterparties and sectors, but the evidence examined does not provide the individual values needed to reconstruct the $12 billion total. Earlier Announcements and Additional Value In November 2025, Donald Trump announced that Uzbekistan would undertake roughly $35 billion in purchases and investment in American sectors over the following three years. The stated total did not separate the amounts assigned to purchases and investment. Uzbekistani purchases from American suppliers and investment in American sectors cannot be counted as an equivalent inflow of U.S. capital into Uzbekistan. Purchasing American equipment and receiving American investment give Uzbekistani participants different roles in the financing and implementation of projects. In September 2026, Investment Minister Laziz Kudratov said projects worth $7 billion had already been completed within a $35 billion portfolio. UzDaily described the figure as one-fifth of the value of the previous year’s agreements, without identifying the completed projects or defining completion. A transaction-level account would show what equipment was delivered, which facilities were commissioned, and what contract payments were made, giving the value and completion date of each transaction. October’s $12 billion cannot be added to the earlier figures without reconciling the transactions included in each package and the values assigned to them. The matching $35 billion figures do not establish that Kudratov and Trump referred to the same transaction list. An October agreement could introduce a fresh transaction or add obligations within an existing project, but it could also cover work already reflected in an earlier valuation. A company’s reappearance in successive announcements does not establish which relationship applies. What the Agreements Establish American Resources Corporation and ReElement Technologies announced an October 19 agreement with Uzbekistan Technological Metals Complex and the Fund for Reconstruction and Development, advancing their November 2025 memorandum. ReElement’s release describes a further stage of technical and commercial work under an existing partnership, but it provides no valuation showing how that work contributes to the $12 billion total. The companies report successful processing of Uzbek-sourced tungsten into high-purity oxide. The planned demonstration at ReElement’s U.S. facilities is intended to evaluate commercial viability, processing efficiency, and scalability; preliminary engineering and economic modeling concern possible refining operations in Uzbekistan. In the financial sector, the investment ministry describes Franklin Templeton, Oppenheimer, Citigroup, and BlackRock as helping to attract capital, but does not explain whether or how these arrangements contribute to the $12 billion...

Nuclear Energy

U.S. Promotes Small Nuclear Reactors in Uzbekistan

The United States is promoting small modular nuclear reactors in Uzbekistan as Tashkent develops its nuclear power sector with Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio promoted the technology during his October 19 visit to Samarkand, linking it to rising energy demand. “We’re introducing U.S. small modular reactors and modernizing the Uzbek electric grid and gas distribution network,” Rubio told the U.S.-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council. He said the cooperation would help the government keep pace with growing energy demand. Rubio did not name a reactor supplier or announce financing or a construction schedule for an American plant. Uzbekistan’s interest predates Rubio’s visit. In November 2025, the country expressed interest in studying designs from Holtec, GE Hitachi, and NuScale, according to the World Nuclear Association. Tashkent has pursued those discussions alongside its current nuclear partnership with Russia. Small modular reactors generally have an electrical capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Factories can manufacture their components and assemble them on site. Utilities can add smaller units in stages as demand increases. For Uzbekistan, nuclear power forms part of an effort to expand electricity supply as domestic gas production declines. Once a net gas exporter, the country became a net importer in 2023. Gas output fell 16.3% year-on-year in January-August 2026, increasing pressure on supplies. The World Nuclear Association puts natural gas at 76% of Uzbekistan’s electricity output in 2023. Reducing the amount burned in power stations could ease import needs and leave more available for industry, including petrochemicals. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom is developing Uzbekistan’s first nuclear complex in the Forish district of the Jizzakh region. The design combines two large Russian VVER-1000 reactors with two smaller RITM-200N units, providing about 2.1 gigawatts of capacity. The smaller reactors are each rated at 55 megawatts. Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Vladimir Putin launched the project by video link in June, accompanied by a concrete pouring ceremony. The development has expanded substantially since the countries agreed in 2024 to build a plant consisting of six small reactors. The published schedule envisages a technical launch of the first small unit in late 2029, with the larger units following in the 2030s. Nuclear generation is therefore several years away. Uzbekistan must also improve the networks that deliver electricity to homes and businesses. Following a nationwide referendum on the issue, Kazakhstan is also investing in nuclear power. Its planned Balkhash plant, near Ulken on Lake Balkhash, will use Russian technology. A nuclear agreement signed in May envisages two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of about 2.4 gigawatts. Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency put the project’s cost at approximately $16.5 billion, including security and supporting infrastructure. Kazakhstan’s strategy calls for at least three nuclear power plants by 2050. China National Nuclear Corporation has been selected to lead the second project. The country is the world’s largest uranium producer, but developing power stations also requires foreign reactor technology and expertise. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have begun cooperating on nuclear safety. Officials...

Taxi Competition

Yandex Go Outage Boosts Rival Taxi Services in Uzbekistan

The ripple effects of this month's Yandex Go outage are still being felt across Uzbekistan's taxi market. Rival ride-hailing services have reported a surge in bookings, while a senior government official has raised the prospect of further competition, revealing that a Chinese company plans to launch its own taxi app with a fleet of 5,000 vehicles. Uzbekistan's First Deputy Minister of Transport Mamanbiy Omarov disclosed the unnamed investor's plans in an October 16 interview with Spot, although further details were scant. On October 11, Yandex Go users in Uzbekistan experienced disruptions when trying to book rides. The app also operated intermittently in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The outages coincided with a series of drone strikes targeting Yandex data centers in Russia. Between October 8 and 11, attacks affected company facilities in the Ryazan and Kaluga regions, followed by a strike in Vladimir. Server disruptions also hit delivery and other digital services used by people across Central Asia. Yandex Go accounted for approximately 85% of receipts issued through taxi aggregators in Uzbekistan in 2024, according to figures from the country's Tax Committee. Between October 11 and 13, orders through Uklon rose to two to three times normal levels, while MyTaxi, which operates only in Tashkent, reported 15 times its usual volume, according to Spot. MyTaxi said its own servers are located in Uzbekistan and outlined plans to retain the new passengers attracted during the disruption. It remains unknown where the Chinese operator's servers will be located or which companies will provide its technical infrastructure. These details would help establish how dependent the service might be on infrastructure outside Uzbekistan. Chinese automakers already operate in Uzbekistan, while companies from China are involved in developing the country's transport infrastructure. The proposed fleet could give the new operator a significant presence, particularly if it concentrates on Tashkent. However, Chinese companies have not always succeeded in challenging Yandex's position in Central Asia. Ride-hailing giant DiDi entered neighboring Kazakhstan in 2021 but withdrew in March 2022, less than a year after launching. The company cited changing market conditions and other challenges, although it did not explain its decision in detail.

Language Politics

Rubio’s Remarks Reignite Debate on Russian Language in Uzbekistan

A brief exchange between United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a Bloomberg journalist in Samarkand has revived debate over the status of the Russian language in Uzbekistan. Speaking to reporters at Registan Square on October 19, Rubio asked Bloomberg correspondent Eric Martin whether he spoke Uzbek. Martin replied that he spoke Russian fluently. "Oh, okay. That's no longer the official language here, but it's good. A lot of people speak it. I understand," Rubio said. The exchange circulated on Uzbek social media, with some foreign outlets identifying Rubio's interlocutor as a local journalist. However, a Daryo correspondent at the event reported that Rubio was speaking to Martin. Russian remains widely used in Uzbekistan in business, education, the media, and everyday communication, particularly in major cities. Uzbek is the country's only state language. Unlike Kazakhstan, where Russian is officially used alongside Kazakh in state institutions, Uzbekistan does not grant Russian equivalent legal status. A similar controversy emerged in April 2025 after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Samarkand’s Grieving Mother memorial, dedicated to those who died in World War II. "There is an inscription in English, but I didn't see one in Russian. A mother is the most sacred figure," Lavrov remarked in the presence of Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov. Lavrov's comments drew criticism from Uzbek public figures, who viewed them as interference in the language policy of an independent state. Lavrov was questioning the absence of Russian at a public memorial, while Rubio was speaking informally with a foreign journalist. There is no indication from the exchange that Rubio intended to make a formal statement about Uzbekistan's language policy. During the summit of U.S. and Central Asian leaders at the White House in November 2025, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed U.S. President Donald Trump in Russian, speaking through an interpreter. Russian was widely used in government administration and higher education across the Soviet Union. Rubio's exchange came two days before Uzbek Language Day, observed on October 21. On that date in 1989, legislation was adopted granting Uzbek the status of state language. In 2020, a separate law formally established the date as an official holiday.

Regional Security

Central Asia’s Afghan Engagement Faces Persistent Security Risks

Central Asian countries are expanding their trade with Kabul despite concerns about armed groups operating from Afghanistan. Russia has renewed warnings about militants seeking to infiltrate the region and is advocating cooperation with the Taliban authorities to contain them. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are interested in trade, energy, and transport projects connecting the region with South Asia. Tajikistan has traditionally taken a more critical position toward the Taliban and places particular emphasis on securing its lengthy border with Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Russia and China are seeking guarantees from the Afghan authorities against the activities of armed organizations that threaten their security. Speaking on October 16 at a joint conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said extremist organizations maintained a significant presence in Afghan provinces bordering Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. According to Lavrov, militants intend to use Afghan territory to expand their activities into Central Asia and Russia. Lavrov identified Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist organization, also known as ISIS-K, as the main threat, citing Russian security agencies. The group opposes the Taliban, carries out attacks in Afghanistan, and has struck beyond its borders. The name Khorasan refers to a historical region encompassing parts of present-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. ISIS-K’s reach extends beyond Afghanistan’s border regions through propaganda, recruitment, and cross-border networks. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, people from Central Asia have been implicated in ISIS-K activities beyond the region itself, including within migrant communities. Lavrov claimed that militants in northern Afghanistan included ethnic Uyghurs, alongside fighters from Central Asia and the North Caucasus. His reference to Uyghurs echoes Beijing’s security concerns over Xinjiang, where China has used counterterrorism policies to justify sweeping repression. A 2022 UN assessment found that arbitrary detention and restrictions on the rights of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups could constitute crimes against humanity. The TASS report provided no evidence supporting his claims about the fighters’ origins. Lavrov also called for joint action against weapons and drug trafficking through Central Asia. The Taliban as a Security Partner Lavrov urged engagement with the Taliban authorities, who returned to power during the U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021. Russia formally recognized their government in July 2025. Moscow argues that the Taliban’s control of Afghan territory makes them responsible for security within the country, and is seeking international support for Kabul’s efforts to improve regional security. While relying on the Taliban to contain armed groups, Moscow is simultaneously questioning their ability to do so. ISIS-K has attacked Taliban officials, giving Kabul a direct reason to confront the organization. That conflict, however, offers no assurance that the Taliban will act against other armed groups operating in Afghanistan. China also favors working with Kabul on security, with concerns extending to the safety of Chinese nationals and regional trade routes. Two attacks launched from Afghan territory killed five Chinese nationals...

Film Awards

Uzbek-Tajik Film About Jami and Navoi Wins Prize

A movie about the friendship between two Central Asian literary figures that was made by a team from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan has won a top prize at a national film awards event in Dushanbe. Shining Stars: Jami and Navoi tells the story of the 15th-century friendship and collaboration between the Persian poet Abd al-Rahman Jami, a cultural icon in modern Tajikistan, and Alisher Navoi, a poet and statesman of the Timurid era who is officially revered in Uzbekistan today. As such, both figures are closely associated with the national identities of their respective countries. The joint project, which had the backing of the Tajik and Uzbek governments and sought to highlight cultural connections between the two countries, was awarded the Grand Prix at the third edition of the Toji Somon National Film Awards. It also won awards for best production design and best costume design. The five-day event ended this week in Tajikistan’s capital after featuring dozens of films from several countries, including Iran and Russia. The two men who inspired the making of Shining Stars: Jami and Navoi were discussed at a forum hosted in Tashkent last year by the International Institute for Central Asia, which is affiliated with the Uzbek state. Abdujabbor Aziz Rahmonzoda, then Tajikistan’s ambassador to Uzbekistan, told the audience that Navoi always referred to Jami as his mentor and they maintained close ties through letters, more than 430 of which have been preserved, and poetry. “The Ambassador also noted the unique nature of their literary exchange: Navoi wrote to Jami in Turkic, and Jami replied in Persian, symbolizing the unity and linguistic diversity of the region’s culture,” the institute said in a report on the symposium. Asia-Plus, a Tajik news outlet, reported last year that there were two directors: Tajik Fayzullo Fayzov and Uzbek Dilmurod Masaidov. Some 70% of the planned filming was in Uzbekistan and the rest in Tajikistan, while 60% of the cast were Uzbek and 40% from Tajikistan, it said. The total budget was about $10 million, according to Asia-Plus. Planning for the film was underway by late 2021, according to the state-supported Tajikfilm studio. The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies describes Jami as a noted Sufi and social critic, calling him “a culminating figure in Perso-Islamic culture, whose reputation and influence have remained undiminished throughout the eastern Islamic world – the Ottoman empire and Central Asia, Iran, India, China, and the Malay world.” Navoi is regarded in Uzbekistan as the father of the Uzbek language because of his writing in the Turkic language Chagatai, or classical Uzbek, at a time when Persian was dominant in literary circles.