Uzbekistan and the United States signed a Memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals. The document was inked by the first deputy minister of geology Omonullo Nasritdinkhodjayev and the US ambassador Jonathan Henick on 16 September in Tashkent.
At the September 2023 presidential summit in New York, presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the US announced their intention to launch a Critical Minerals Dialogue. The signed memorandum signifies the intention of Uzbekistan and the US to advance this effort, strengthen economic cooperation and catalyze investment that advances the clean energy transition, while protecting Central Asia’s unique ecosystems, the US embassy said in its press release.
“Critical minerals and rare earth elements are essential for clean energy and other technologies and play an increasingly important role in our economies. The United States is actively working to encourage private sector investment in Uzbekistan’s mining sector. The MOU further reflects our shared goal of ensuring high environmental, labor and governance standards in the global mining sector,” the release said.
“The United States and Uzbekistan must cooperate to have resilient, secure supply chains that can support the future energy landscape. This memorandum demonstrates our shared commitment to diversifying global mineral supply chains and expanding our bilateral trade relationship,” US ambassador Jonathan Henick noted.
The signing ceremony took place on the eve of the government of Uzbekistan’s participation in MINExpo International, the mining industry’s largest global event, which will take place 24−26 September in Las Vegas.
