Uzbekistan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Fatal Accident

11-Year-Old Uzbek Girl Killed by School Bus in Brooklyn

An 11-year-old girl from Uzbekistan was fatally struck by a school bus on the afternoon of February 5 in the Bath Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Daily News reported. The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. at the intersection of Bath Avenue and 23rd Avenue. According to police, the girl was crossing the street when a yellow school bus turned into the crosswalk and hit her. She was transported to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The victim, later identified as Amira Aminova, had just purchased chocolate at a nearby store moments before the collision. Wael Alghithi, a 22-year-old employee at Bath Healthy Deli and Grill, told the Daily News that Amira was a familiar face. “She came in every day. She bought chocolate and a soda,” Alghithi said. “She left here and then the accident happened. She didn’t usually cross that way, and she was alone.” Alghithi stated that Amira was crossing Bath Avenue heading north when the bus, traveling south on 23rd Avenue, turned right and struck her in the crosswalk. He added that it seemed the driver did not stop immediately. “Maybe she thought he was going to stop for her,” he said. “It all happened very fast.” Surveillance video obtained by the Daily News shows Amira beginning to cross the street at a walking pace before breaking into a run as the bus approached. She appeared to attempt to outrun the vehicle but was struck as it entered the crosswalk. Later that evening, two men affiliated with Consolidated Bus Service told the newspaper that one of their vehicles was involved in the incident. “We’re looking for the exact location of where the girl was struck,” one said at the scene. Police confirmed that officers stopped the driver shortly after the crash. The driver, identified as Wawa Aurelus, was charged with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. The investigation remains ongoing. Amira lived just a block from where the accident occurred. According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Brooklyn resident Saykhuna Artikova, Amira and her mother, Zilola, had moved to the United States from Uzbekistan several years ago. The fundraiser, written in Russian, describes Zilola as a single mother who raised Amira on her own. “Amira was everything to her, the meaning of her life, her joy, and the most precious person in the world,” the page states. Zilola hopes to return her daughter’s body to Uzbekistan for burial. The campaign has raised over $33,000 to cover funeral costs, including repatriation expenses. Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in New York confirmed the child’s death in an official statement, extending condolences to the family and affirming its continued communication with Amira’s mother. The consulate also pledged full cooperation with relevant U.S. authorities and said Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions in the country stand ready to provide necessary support. A recent amendment to Uzbekistan’s law “On Burial and Funeral Services,” published on Lex.uz on February 5, allows for state financial support for transporting the remains of citizens...

Russia

Nearly 200 Uzbek Citizens Sought Asylum in Russia in 2025

In 2025, a total of 191 Uzbek citizens applied for asylum in Russia, underscoring evolving migration dynamics in the region and increased pressure on labor and humanitarian migration systems across Central Asia. The figures were reported by Gazeta.ru, citing data from Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the data, 8,820 foreign nationals sought temporary asylum in Russia last year. Ukrainians accounted for the largest group, with 3,332 applicants, followed by 3,196 Syrians. Other significant groups included 313 Palestinians, 281 Afghans, and 191 Uzbeks. Additional applicants came from countries such as Germany, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Israel, and Armenia, placing Central Asian states firmly within Russia’s broader migration framework. The total number of asylum applications marked an increase compared to 2024, when Russian authorities registered 6,879 requests. Despite ongoing political and economic turbulence, officials said the overall structure of migration remained largely stable. Regional developments also influenced migration trends. In early January, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service reported that around 1,400 Ukrainian citizens attempted to cross borders illegally in 2025, including via Belarus. Most attempts occurred along European Union borders. Meanwhile, the EU recorded a 20% drop in asylum applications, especially among Syrians, indicating that some migratory pressure may be shifting eastward. For Uzbekistan, the asylum figures come amid broader labor migration trends. According to official Uzbek statistics, 1.86 million citizens left the country for employment abroad between January and September 2025, a 1.38-fold increase year-on-year. Of these, an estimated 1.3 million were working in Russia, reaffirming its role as the main destination for Uzbek labor migrants. Migration policy has also featured in recent diplomatic discussions. According to RIA Novosti, Russian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Aleksey Yerkhov informed the Uzbek Foreign Ministry of Russia’s updated migration policy concept, approved in October 2025. During a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Olimjon Abdullaev, both sides addressed the need to improve labor migration mechanisms and ensure the protection of Uzbek citizens’ rights during inspections and employment procedures. Russia’s 2026-2030 migration policy concept states that external political and economic pressures have not significantly altered migration patterns. The policy projects continued growth in labor migration, driven by sustained demand for foreign workers. At the same time, Moscow is introducing new mechanisms to attract skilled foreign nationals. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that, beginning in April 2026, Russian embassies and consulates will issue one-year, multiple-entry business visas to qualified individuals deemed beneficial to the Russian Federation. Eligible applicants will include professionals with achievements in science, technology, manufacturing, sports, the creative industries, education, or other high-demand sectors, as outlined in a presidential decree promoting high-quality migration.

U.S.-Central Asia Engagement

Breaking into Project Vault: A U.S. Role for Central Asia’s Strategic Minerals

The Trump Administration has decided to go head-to-head with Beijing to secure an independent supply chain for critical minerals and insulate U.S. industries from supply shocks. Among many initiatives, the United States launched Project Vault on February 2 to establish a U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve. The public-private stockpile is expected to secure essential minerals and metals for U.S. national security purposes and high-technology industries. The effort formalizes the U.S. strategy to diversify critical mineral supply chains away from rival China and, in the process, harness broader global capacity. As part of this effort, mineral-rich Central Asia is already factoring heavily in U.S. foreign and economic policy thinking. Participating in the front row of the 2026 Critical Minerals Summit, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were invited to engage in Washington’s global effort to build resilient global supply chains. But Project Vault is a critical and separate component of the administration’s focus. Formally approved by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) on February 2, Project Vault will be backed with up to $10 billion in long-term financing and an additional $2 billion in private sector participation. In sites across the country, the initiative will establish stores of critical minerals and rare earth elements essential for aerospace, defense, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, renewables, and electric vehicles. The stockpile’s structure will be operated as a public-private partnership that enables manufacturers, trading firms, and private capital providers to jointly participate. Rare earths, copper, lithium, titanium, scandium, gallium, and germanium are all key minerals highlighted by the U.S. Department of the Interior that underpin modern technologies and demonstrate U.S. vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. Why a Strategic Mineral Reserve? The initiative is a direct response to perceived risks posed by China’s relative control of global critical mineral supply chains and markets, as well as Beijing’s use of trade restrictions, protectionism, and the weaponization of access to certain critical minerals. China controls a commanding share of the mining, refining, and processing of rare earths and related materials. Due to years of strategic planning and investment, Beijing has leveraged state subsidies and pricing controls to develop and secure between 80%-100% of rare earth processing capacities that have dominated international markets and disincentivized competitors for decades. Past export controls and export-license restrictions imposed by Beijing have underscored how critical mineral supply can become a tool of geopolitical leverage. China has at times restricted rare earth exports to Japan, Sweden and the United States in what is defined by many as supply-chain protectionism. Such actions can disrupt U.S. production for industries that rely on stable supplies to manufacture semiconductors, defense systems, and clean energy technologies. Project Vault is, therefore, conceived not merely as a reserve but as a mechanism to stabilize U.S. markets, to reduce reliance on China, and to signal a long-term commitment to diversified supply chains. Much like the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve acts to cushion energy price shocks, the mineral reserve is expected to serve as a similar buffer. Operational and Financial Dimensions Project Vault’s financing model expects a...

B5+1

What the U.S. Really Wants in Central Asia: Behind the B5+1 Forums

The B5+1 business forum continued in Kyrgyzstan’s capital on February 5, as government officials, regional business leaders, and a sizable U.S. delegation met to discuss trade, investment, and regulatory barriers shaping economic ties between Central Asia and the United States. As Washington signals a more pragmatic, commercially driven approach to the region, questions persist over why U.S. investment has lagged behind political engagement and which markets are truly seen as priorities. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Dmitry Orlov, director of the Strategy: East–West analytical center, about the structural obstacles deterring American capital, the shift in U.S. policy thinking, and how Central Asian states are positioned within Washington’s evolving economic calculus. TCA: What serious U.S. capital investments in Central Asia can we talk about today? ORLOV: It is important to understand the main point. Talk of large investments, the arrival of American business, and long-term economic cooperation only makes sense in one case: if the U.S. repeals the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which was adopted back in the 1970s and extended to all former Soviet republics after the collapse of the USSR. Today, it remains a formal and, in many ways, psychological obstacle to a fully-fledged business partnership. At the same time, it is necessary to establish contacts at a business level right now. This is because if the amendment is repealed - and such statements are regularly heard in Washington - it is difficult to predict which countries in the region will receive investment flows and in what volumes. Recent international forums, including Davos, have shown that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are of the greatest interest to the U.S. in Central Asia. Their economies are developing more dynamically, and they can offer large-scale projects and a clear export base. The other countries in the region, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, are still perceived by investors as lower priorities. TCA: Previously, the U.S. actively promoted a political agenda in the region, including human rights and freedom of speech. Now these are rarely mentioned. Why do you think this is the case? ORLOV: The approach has become more pragmatic. The history of U.S. foreign policy shows that strategic and economic interests have always taken precedence. If a territory is attractive in terms of resources or transit routes, a format for cooperation will be found. In Europe, relatively speaking, the rule of law prevails. In Asia, the situation is different, and the Americans understand this perfectly well. Issues of ideology and human rights can move to the background if economic expediency comes first. This is especially true in Central Asia, where many issues are resolved through personal agreements and informal connections. Washington understands this. TCA: What exactly can Central Asia offer the U.S.? ORLOV: In terms of individual countries, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are again in the lead. They offer oil, gas, and, no less importantly, control over transit routes. There is currently a lot of discussion about rare earths and critical minerals, but their development is always long and expensive. As a result, interest in...

Aviation Industry

Uzbekistan Becomes First Central Asian Buyer of Embraer C-390

The aviation engineering company Embraer announced on February 3 at the Singapore Airshow that Uzbekistan is the previously undisclosed buyer of its C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. In its announcement, Embraer Defense & Security identified Uzbekistan as the first Central Asian country to acquire and operate the aircraft. The Uzbek Air Force will primarily use the C-390 for transport and humanitarian missions, enhancing the country’s airlift capabilities and emergency response infrastructure. The acquisition marks a major milestone in the modernization of Uzbekistan’s military aviation fleet and aligns it with a growing list of global C-390 operators. “We officially welcome the Republic of Uzbekistan to the group of C-390 operators as the Uzbekistan Air Force modernizes its transport capabilities,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. He added that the company is “honored by the choice of this leading Central Asia Air Force” and committed to ensuring reliable and effective aircraft operation. Designed and built in the 21st century, the C-390 Millennium is described by Embraer as the most modern military transport aircraft in its class. It can carry payloads of up to 26 tons, reach speeds of 470 knots, and cover longer distances than other medium-sized transport aircraft. It is equipped for a wide range of missions including cargo and troop transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, and humanitarian aid. Notably, the C-390 can operate from unpaved or temporary runways, making it suitable for deployment in difficult terrain. When fitted with quick-install air-to-air refueling systems, the aircraft operates under the KC-390 designation, capable of serving as both tanker and receiver. It is fully NATO-interoperable and designed for Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operations. Uzbekistan joins an expanding list of C-390 Millennium customers, including Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, and Lithuania, according to Embraer.

Central Asian Politics

The “Central Asia 2030” Roundtable in Astana: From External Interest to Regional Choice

Discussions about Central Asia’s long-term strategic future are increasingly shifting from a focus on external attention to one of growing regional agency. On Monday, Astana International University hosted the first roundtable in the series Central Asia 2030: Strategic Horizons and Regional Choices. Speakers included Andrew D’Anieri, Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center; Yerkin Tukumov, Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan; Ambassador-at-Large Zulfiya Suleimenova; and Dauren Aben, Deputy Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan. Pragmatism, Regional Choice, and the Logic of the “Grand Bargain” In his remarks, Andrew D’Anieri emphasized that Central Asia is increasingly viewed in the U.S. not as a peripheral zone but as an independent strategic partner. He noted that “environmental, water, and climate issues considered within a regional framework are fully supported by the U.S.” However, he added that “long-term commercial and investment projects are impossible without long-term stability, which in turn requires coordination between neighbors, engagement on sensitive issues, and pragmatic regional cooperation.” D’Anieri also pointed to Afghanistan as “an integral part of regional logic,” and described formats such as C5+1 as evidence of Central Asia’s growing subjectivity. He highlighted the first-ever C5+1 summit at the presidential level in Washington as a landmark event, especially under the administration of Donald Trump, known for its preference for bilateral over multilateral formats. Trump and the Possibility of a Visit: Only with a “Big Deal” When asked whether a visit by President Trump to Central Asia is realistic, D’Anieri offered a candid assessment: “Such a visit is only possible if there is a large, symbolically and economically significant deal.” Whether in aviation, technology, or infrastructure, these high-visibility projects are typically what draw Trump’s engagement. He added that “the region has work to do in developing a package of initiatives that could interest the U.S. president and justify a high-level visit.” Potential areas include mining, transport, and logistics. Reframing Afghanistan’s Role in the Region Special Representative Yerkin Tukumov focused on the importance of reframing the region’s relationship with Afghanistan. For too long, he said, Afghanistan has been viewed primarily “through the prism of security threats,” resulting in a narrow and often misleading approach. Tukumov argued for a broader, more pragmatic view that considers economic, humanitarian, and cross-border dimensions. He described the C5+1 format not as a replacement for bilateral diplomacy, but as “an additional level of coordination where Central Asia can speak with a more consolidated voice without losing national autonomy in foreign policy.” He stressed the need to move beyond “ideological and declarative approaches,” toward practical, interest-based mechanisms of cooperation. Ecology, Water, and the Case for a Global Water Agency Ambassador-at-Large Zulfiya Suleimenova addressed the strategic urgency of regional coordination on water and climate. She emphasized that “water issues are transboundary in nature,” and that efforts to resolve them solely within national frameworks are bound to fall short. “Regional coordination in Central Asia is not a political slogan, but a functional necessity,” she said. Suleimenova argued that jointly promoting...