The U.S. State Department has canceled a $2.5 million grant intended to support civic engagement programs in Uzbekistan. The decision comes as part of a broader review of foreign aid expenditures initiated by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and the Department of Government Efficiency.
The Uzbekistan program was one of 139 foreign aid grants, totaling $215 million, that were recently scrapped. Other canceled initiatives include $5.2 million for a media diversity project in the United Kingdom, $2 million for newsroom sustainability efforts in Moldova, and nearly $1 million for women’s organizations in Mauritania. Additional cuts affected projects focused on disinformation, media freedom, and gender equity in Europe, Brazil, and North Africa.
Continued U.S.-Uzbekistan Engagement
Despite the funding cut, bilateral ties between the United States and Uzbekistan continue to strengthen. A draft of Uzbekistan’s 2025 government program, currently open for public discussion, outlines plans to deepen cooperation with Washington. These include a proposed high-level visit to the U.S. and the inaugural round of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue, scheduled to take place in Tashkent. In March 2025, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Furkat Sidikov, also hosted a Congressional Breakfast, which focused on trade, investment, and U.S.-Uzbekistan relations. Over 300 American companies are currently operating in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan recently hosted the first EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, though the prospects of a U.S.-Central Asia C5+1 summit in 2025 remain uncertain.
Daniel Runde, a senior official at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has emphasized the importance of a strong U.S.-Uzbek partnership. Runde noted that Uzbekistan plays a critical role in maintaining stability in Central Asia and in balancing the regional influence of Russia and China.
