Uzbekistan international economic and strategic cooperation

Uzbekistan is actively pursuing international economic and strategic partnerships to bolster its energy, infrastructure, and trade sectors.

In mid-October 2026, the nation strengthened ties with China and Turkey. Discussions with Chinese leadership focused on cooperation in energy, mining, finance, artificial intelligence, and transportation, with a specific emphasis on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project intended to create a trade route to Europe bypassing Russia. Concurrently, meetings with Turkish industrial groups targeted expansion in energy, geology, and infrastructure, particularly regarding thermal power plants and electricity distribution modernization.

Following these developments, Uzbek diplomats met with representatives from Bangladesh during an Organization of Islamic Cooperation session to discuss expanding bilateral trade and investment and encouraging closer contact between business communities.

On October 19, 2026, the Uzbek government expanded its focus on high-tech resource management by reaching an agreement with U.S.-based ReElement Technologies. The two parties agreed to launch a pilot project for advanced critical minerals processing, which aims to introduce modern solutions for refining rare earth elements and battery materials, including lithium, nickel, and cobalt.