Uzbekistan, US Launch Business and Investment Council

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The first members of the Uzbekistan–US Business and Investment Council were announced on 16 June 2026 during the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF-2026).

The list includes representatives of key US government and financial institutions, among them Bethany Aquilina Brez, Vice President of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC); Sarah Witten, Senior Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM); David Vogel, Assistant Secretary of Commerce; Caleb Orr, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs; and US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick.

It was noted that the Council was launched in April 2026 in Washington and serves as a key bilateral platform aimed at accelerating trade and economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United States and stimulating private sector investment.

The structure is co-chaired by US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor and Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva.

The Council is intended to provide US businesses with direct access to US government financing tools, trade support mechanisms, and market development instruments for implementing major projects in Uzbekistan.

It was also noted that Uzbekistan possesses significant reserves of critical minerals of interest to the US technology, defence, and energy sectors. The new format establishes a structured mechanism to expand access to these resources on a mutually beneficial basis.

US participants involved in the Council are expected to strengthen the institutional base of US commercial presence in Uzbekistan and support long-term economic partnership between the two countries.