Uzbekistan wants to turn away from Russia and China and turn to the USA — Aripov

Uzbekistan would like to reorient its foreign trade from Russia and China to the United States. This was announced at a conference held in Washington at the Atlantic Council (recognized in Eldor Aripov, director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, said that the organization is undesirable for Russia).

"The geopolitical landscape of Central Asia is changing. Yes, Russia and China still account for about 50% of foreign trade, but now you can see the growing presence of other countries: South Korea, Japan, India. I think this diversification reflects a very important strategic shift from dependence on several markets to a more balanced and multi-vector partnership system in the region. All these new players are helping to maintain open geopolitical pluralism in Central Asia. The United States can also play a very important role in maintaining the open architecture of the region," Aripov said.

He recalled that "almost half of the minerals that were discovered by the US Geological Survey are located in Central Asia."

In turn, Uzbek Senator Sodik Safoev noted that half of the world's uranium reserves are located in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. According to him, the government of Uzbekistan is actively working to "get closer to the United States."

"Let's be honest, the geopolitical situation around Central Asia has changed dramatically since 2022. I mean the war on Ukraine and events in Russia. We should think much more analytically and impartially about the future of this large great country after Putin's departure. We should think about it now, because it will affect everything that is being discussed here," said Stephen Starr, an American expert on Russia and Eurasia.