U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Samarkand business forum that Washington is deploying American small modular reactors in Uzbekistan and modernising its energy grids — even as a dispute persists over whether Tashkent has formally committed to buying U.S. nuclear technology.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced on 16 October the creation of an Investors’ Council for the fuel and energy sector, placing his daughter and Head of the Presidential Administration, Saida Mirziyoyeva, at its helm. The president cited bureaucracy and corruption as the explicit reasons for the new body.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced on October 16 that Saida Mirziyoyeva will chair a newly created energy sector investors council, established in direct response to complaints from major international energy companies about land allocation delays, grid connection bottlenecks and slow issuance of technical specifications.
Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade Shohrukh Gulyamov held a series of bilateral meetings with major UAE companies in Abu Dhabi, advancing project frameworks for water treatment in New Tashkent, logistics digitalisation, gas transportation financing and urban development.
Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration, met Henderson Land Group Chairman Peter Lee on October 16 to discuss potential joint projects in renewable energy, New Tashkent infrastructure and education, as Tashkent seeks to deepen investment ties with Hong Kong’s largest holding companies.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced the creation of an Investors’ Council for the fuel and energy sector, appointing Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, to lead the body. The council is designed to resolve persistent administrative bottlenecks — from land allocation to grid connections — that have slowed major energy infrastructure projects.
Six energy agreements worth US$4.7 billion were signed at an investor dialogue chaired by President Mirziyoyev, adding 3,000 MW of generation and 400 MW of storage capacity. A new Investors’ Council will be chaired by Presidential Administration head Saida Mirziyoyeva, while tenders for a further 2,200 MW of solar and wind capacity are imminent.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Tashkent on 17 October 2026, meeting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov. Beijing pledged to increase imports of Uzbek products, reaffirmed commitment to the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and identified energy, artificial intelligence and modern agriculture as priority areas for expanded cooperation.
The State Assets Management Agency has confirmed the cancellation of oil-field licenses held by Sanoat Energetika Guruhi and the termination of the $100 million Fergana Oil Refinery sale, as the company’s financial collapse leaves nearly 39,000 workers owed $131 million in wages.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced a new Investors’ Council for the fuel and energy sector, to be led by Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, after international energy companies cited persistent bureaucratic obstacles to project delivery.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has signed two grant agreements totaling USD 1.1 million with Azerbaijan to fund early-stage feasibility work on the Caspian Green Energy Corridor, a cross-border project that would connect Uzbekistan’s power grid to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan through a proposed 400-kilometre submarine electricity cable.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed legislation imposing life imprisonment for sexual violence against children under 14, as the government simultaneously announced a 30% rise in heating tariffs, dismissed the defense minister, reshuffled four Tashkent district governors, and arrested a deputy district governor for a $25,000 bribe.
