President of Uzbekistan proposes accelerating creation of Central Asian critical minerals alliance

President of Uzbekistan calls for faster creation of Central Asian critical minerals alliance

Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for speeding up the establishment of an alliance of Central Asian countries on critical minerals. He made the remarks at the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Avaza, Turkmenistan, on 8 October.

“Our countries possess significant reserves of raw materials essential for modern industry, energy and new technologies. Here, it is important for us to act together,” the president said.

According to him, one of the first steps in this direction could be the creation of a unified digital map of critical mineral reserves in Central Asia.

“Such a resource would provide a more comprehensive picture of the region’s potential and demonstrate to international investors that our countries are ready to develop this area together,” the president emphasized.

Energy also occupies a prominent place on the common agenda, Mirziyoyev added. He noted that the region has significant hydrocarbon reserves and significant potential for hydropower and solar and wind power generation.

“It is precisely this diversity that enables our countries to complement one another. We need to make wise use of this potential and take a comprehensive approach to the development of the region’s energy sector. Green energy will play an increasingly important role in this area,” the president said.

Mirziyoyev proposed developing a joint concept for the low-carbon energy potential of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan.

“It will enable better coordination of the development of new generation capacity, the deployment of modern energy storage systems and the creation of new energy corridors,” the president said.