President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s remarks at the recent C5+1 summit in Washington drew international attention following a translation error reported in several foreign media outlets.
According to his press service, Mirziyoyev told U.S. President Donald Trump that people in Uzbekistan refer to him as a “president of peace,” citing what he described as Trump’s role in helping resolve multiple armed conflicts. However, the simultaneous interpreter rendered the phrase as “president of the world,” leading international media, including Reuters, to report that Mirziyoyev had used that expression.
The two leaders had previously met on 23 September at the United Nations headquarters. During that meeting, Mirziyoyev congratulated Trump for contributing to the resolution of “seven conflicts,” specifically mentioning the settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The Uzbek news outlet Kun.uz later published a full translation of the conversation in Uzbek. According to that report, Mirziyoyev also stated that Trump was deserving of a Nobel Prize, although this remark was not translated during the meeting.
The renewed attention came as Trump announced what he described on Truth Social as an “incredible Trade and Economic Deal” between the United States and Uzbekistan. According to the U.S. president, Uzbekistan has committed to investing and purchasing nearly $35 billion in key American sectors over the next three years, with expected commitments exceeding $100 billion over the next decade.
Trump specified that the sectors include critical minerals, aviation, automotive parts, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, chemicals, and information technology. He thanked Mirziyoyev and said Washington looks forward to a “long and productive partnership.”
On the same day, Mirziyoyev joined the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan at the C5+1 summit held at the White House and chaired by Trump. During the session, the Uzbek president proposed the creation of a permanent C5+1 Secretariat that would rotate among member states, as well as the establishment of a ministerial coordinating council on investment and trade. He also suggested forming a Central Asian Investment Partnership Fund and a special committee on critical minerals.
Additional proposals included collaboration on agricultural technologies, coordination on transport corridors linking Central Asia with the South Caucasus and Europe, and the organization of a cultural heritage exhibition in the United States. Uzbekistan also offered to host the next C5+1 summit in Samarkand.
