US and Uzbekistan Sign Strategic Critical Minerals Investment Pact

The United States government and Uzbekistan have signed a Joint Investment Framework to secure U.S. access to critical minerals, including gold, uranium, copper, lithium, and tungsten. Managed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the pact prioritizes investments across the entire value chain, from exploration and extraction to processing. The agreement includes the creation of a U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Investment Holding Company to manage future minerals and infrastructure projects.

This strategic move is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to counter China's dominance of crucial resource supply chains and offset Russian and Chinese influence in Central Asia. The framework follows a minerals summit in February 2026 and a November 2025 White House meeting with leaders from five Central Asian nations.

The agreement culminated during a working visit to Washington by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who also attended the inaugural meeting of Trump's Board of Peace. During the visit, Mirziyoyev met with Ben Black of the DFC and John Jovanovic of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to discuss financing for industrial and energy projects. The two nations also exchanged an Agreement on the Establishment of an Investment Platform to promote major projects systematically, building on the Uzbekistan-U.S. Business and Investment Council created in late 2025.