Uzbekistan and the United States signed a Memorandum of understanding on critical minerals to strengthen cooperation in the field of mineral resources. The document was signed on September 16 in Tashkent by the First Deputy Minister of Mining and Geology Omonullo Nasritdinkhodjaev and the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick.
At a high-level summit in New York in September 2023, the presidents of the U.S. and Central Asian countries expressed their intention to initiate dialogue on mineral resources. The memorandum is one of the first steps taken by the U.S. and Uzbekistan to advance these efforts and strengthen economic cooperation, according to Uzbekistan's Ministry of Mining and Geology.
“The document serves as an important step in continuing the U.S.-Uzbek dialogue on geological exploration, mineral extraction, and the creation of high value-added product chains,” the statement noted.
Previously, last week, Uzbekistan’s and the U.S.’s Customs Services signed an Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. The document was signed by the Chairman of the Uzbekistan Customs Committee Akmalkhuja Mavlonov and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy Miller in Washington.
Over the past six years, trade between Uzbekistan and the U.S. has grown by 48%, and in the first eight months of this year — by 64%. However, these figures do not reflect the full potential and opportunities of the two countries, the statement said.
Since trade expansion depends on cooperation and information exchange between customs agencies, the negotiations focused on customs risk monitoring, digitization of customs procedures, and the effective use of human resources.
Under the signed agreement, the parties plan to expand cooperation in the exchange of customs information and the fight against money laundering, customs payment evasion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and transnational criminal groups.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 17, 2024