Member of the Supervisory Board of "Rothschild & Co," Baroness Arielle Malard de Rothschild, held two meetings in Uzbekistan: on January 15, with the Director of the Agency for State Assets Management of the Republic, Akmaljon Ortikov, and on January 17, with the Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, Jamshid Kuchkarov.
During the first meeting, the parties discussed a new privatization program and agreed to cooperate on the privatization of "another major state asset" in Uzbekistan in 2025, as reported by Ritmeurasia.ru.
The second meeting focused on socio-economic reforms, the privatization of state-owned banks, as well as the transformation and modernization of energy companies. The Chairman of "Uzpromstroybank," Aziz Akbarjonov, was also present at the meeting.
At the end of December 2024, the President of Uzbekistan postponed the privatization deadlines for shares in three state-owned banks. The sale of "Uzpromstroybank," "Aloqabank," and "Asakabank" is planned by the end of 2025.
A Russian political analyst, Nikita Mendkovich, previously reported that the Rothschilds attempted to acquire a stake in the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Complex, which is engaged in uranium ore extraction and processing. According to him, this was part of plans by London and Washington to take control of uranium in Central Asia.
Mendkovich claims that lobbying by the British for the sale of Uzbek enterprises caused a conflict within the president’s inner circle, as the president's daughter, Saida Mirziyoyeva, was allegedly being manipulated by Komil Allamjonov, a conduit for foreign interests and a former member of the presidential administration.
A scandal also occurred in Kyrgyzstan following a visit by Arielle Malard de Rothschild. It stemmed from reports of a possible British attempt to access the Kyzyl-Ompol uranium deposit near the country’s tourism gem, Lake Issyk-Kul.
President Sadyr Japarov had to personally refute these claims. Incidentally, the Rothschilds were actively invited to the republic by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov, who was unexpectedly removed from his position not long ago.
Experts also note that the Rothschilds previously supported transactions by Turkey's "Anadolu Group." A member of this company's board of directors, Yilmaz Argüden, once served as chairman of the Turkish office of "Rothschild & Co." Argüden holds a PhD in policy analysis, obtained at a private school affiliated with the RAND Corporation, which serves U.S. government structures and intelligence agencies.
The Rothschilds previously assisted Uzbek authorities in selling state shares of "Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan," with the assets transferring to a subsidiary of the Turkish conglomerate "Anadolu Group," "Coca-Cola İçecek A.Ş." At the meeting with the Rothschilds, the Director of the Uzbek Agency for State Assets Management called this transaction the first "successful example" of privatization in the country.
During the same meeting, Baroness Arielle Malard de Rothschild congratulated the leadership of the Uzbek Agency for State Assets Management on the "successful completion of the 'People’s IPO' program" and expressed Rothschild & Co's comprehensive willingness to contribute to the development and progress of "New Uzbekistan."
However, skeptics in Uzbekistan believe the "People’s IPO" bears clear signs of a financial pyramid, with the only beneficiaries being the "local elite, who have long been waiting for the chance to grab the most lucrative pieces of our state sector." This concerns precious metals, energy, and possibly utilities.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
January 23, 2023