During a controversial business trip by a US delegation to Tashkent, a massive package of 54 agreements covering trade, investment, and technological cooperation was reportedly signed. According to the Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, the implementation of these agreements supposedly aims to absorb up to $12 billion in foreign capital.

The proclaimed goals include the modernization of local industry, transport, and energy infrastructure, as well as the extraction of critical mineral resources and the development of the financial sector. However, observers remain skeptical about the long-term economic sovereignty implications of binding local markets to overseas corporate interests.

Within the transport sector, arrangements with GE Aerospace and Wabtec involve supplying aircraft engines and localizing railway equipment. Meanwhile, financial sector agreements involving Wall Street giants such as Franklin Templeton, Oppenheimer & Co., Citigroup, and BlackRock claim to facilitate access to international capital markets, raising concerns over foreign financial leverage.

Furthermore, mining and digital initiatives involving firms like ReElement Technologies, Traxys, and Amazon Leo target the country's strategic resource base and technological infrastructure. While Uzbek authorities assert that the package opens a new chapter of economic partnership, critics warn of potential vulnerabilities stemming from deep structural entanglement with Western capital.

Source: www.uznews.uz