The US is promoting small nuclear reactor technologies in Uzbekistan

**US Advances Small Nuclear Reactor Technologies in Uzbekistan**

The United States is working to introduce American small modular nuclear reactors in Uzbekistan, as well as to upgrade the country's electricity and gas distribution networks. This was stated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a meeting of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council with the participation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

"We are deploying American small modular reactors and modernizing Uzbekistan's electric grid and gas distribution system, helping the government meet rapidly growing energy demand," Marco Rubio said.

The Secretary of State did not specify which particular small modular reactor projects are being discussed, which American companies might be involved in their implementation, or what stage the relevant negotiations are at.

However, in November 2025, the director of the Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom), Azim Akhmedkhadjayev, told Gazeta that Uzbekistan is ready to consider American small nuclear reactor technologies, which are "at the forefront of global nuclear energy." According to him, the country continues to diversify its partnerships and technologies in nuclear power.

"During President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's visit to the US on November 4–6, these agreements were further developed. We reaffirmed our interest in studying American small modular reactor technologies, in particular certified designs from companies such as Holtec, GE Hitachi, and NuScale. These developments are at the forefront of global nuclear energy today," Akhmedkhadjayev noted.

On November 7, the US Department of State disclosed details of a series of agreements reached following talks in Washington between US and Uzbek Presidents Donald Trump and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Among them was a commitment by Uzbekistan to purchase small modular nuclear reactors from US energy companies.

The press service of Uzatom stated that Uzbekistan has no such commitment.

Rubio named the extraction and processing of critical minerals needed for high-tech industries as another area of cooperation.

"We are strengthening the security of critical mineral supply chains in the United States while modernizing, or helping to modernize, Uzbekistan's critical mineral extraction and processing capabilities in collaboration with partners like the Colorado School of Mines," he said.

According to the Secretary of State, Washington is interested both in diversifying the supply of strategic raw materials and in developing Uzbekistan's processing capacity.

He separately touched upon scientific and technological cooperation, including in the field of quantum technologies.

As an example, Rubio cited the partnership between the University of Texas at Dallas and the Samarkand Quantum Center.

According to the head of the State Department, the US is also supporting digital entrepreneurs at Tashkent's IT Park by providing app developers with access to US chips and models for advanced artificial intelligence technologies.

At the same time, Rubio joked about the terminology used by the US administration.

"I am supposed to call it 'superintelligence' because President Trump signed an executive order saying that from now on we call it superintelligence, not artificial intelligence. So 'superintelligence'—and we like that," the Secretary of State said.

Marco Rubio also mentioned cooperation in the aviation sector. According to him, American companies Boeing and GE Aerospace are supplying engines and components for Uzbek passenger aircraft and training specialists.

"Just last year, Boeing sold 22 787 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft to Uzbekistan Airways," he recalled.

The Secretary of State stressed that investment interaction between the countries is developing in both directions.

"And it works both ways. For the first time in history, we will have Uzbek manufacturing on United States soil. AKFA Group is investing $80 million in Bowling Green, Kentucky, committing to a long-term industrial presence and contributing to the further growth of the American aluminum industry," Rubio stated.

According to him, opportunities for further cooperation remain in energy, robotics, financial technology, mining, and agriculture.

"But the people who will lead the next era of US-Uzbek business relations are in this room right now," the Secretary of State said.

Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the prospects for US economic cooperation with Central Asian countries.

"I am very optimistic about the future of business and economic growth in Central Asia. For our part, we are doing everything necessary to lay the regulatory and commercial foundation on which your companies can develop and grow," he concluded.

It worth recalling that on October 19, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Samarkand. He held talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and took part in meetings with the foreign ministers of Central Asian countries in the C5+1 format.

The Secretary of State declared the possibility of concluding agreements worth billions of dollars between the US and countries of the region. He named critical minerals, the Trans-Caspian Transport Route, and the training of specialists for the tech sector among the priorities for cooperation.

At the meeting of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council, the President of Uzbekistan and the head of his administration, Saida Mirziyoyeva, promised American investors clear and predictable operating conditions. Rubio also reported that the US administration supports the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, though the final decision rests with Congress.