US Senator: Uzbekistan is a strategically important country
Steve Daines, co-chair of the US Senate Central Asia Caucus, called Uzbekistan a strategically important country and said that one of Washington's priorities should be to eliminate outdated trade restrictions in the Jackson-Vanik Amendment that hinder free trade between the US and Central Asia.
US Senator Steve Daines called Uzbekistan a country of strategic importance. He said this in an interview with the Dunyo news agency on the eve of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence.
According to the senator, over the past decade, Uzbekistan has achieved significant progress in developing its economy, strengthening ties with international partners, and raising the standard of living of its population. According to Daines, these reforms have made Uzbekistan a more open country, creating new opportunities for expanding trade, investment, and partnerships with the United States and other countries.
He noted the significant results achieved in bilateral relations and cooperation in the C5+1 format. At the same time, Daines identified the elimination of outdated restrictions, as provided for in the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which hinder free trade between the United States and Central Asia, as an important task.
The senator noted that Uzbekistan is rich in important mineral resources, and said that cooperation in this area will create an opportunity to attract new investments and strengthen supply chains. Daines also noted the need to expand cooperation between the United States and Uzbekistan in the field of advanced technologies, in particular, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, photonics and energy. In his opinion, strengthening the ties of American companies and research institutions with the Uzbek technology sector will serve scientific research, training specialists and the development of high-tech industries.
According to Daines, the mutual trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the United States has exceeded $ 1 billion, and he expressed confidence that investment and other cooperation relations will continue to grow in the future. The senator noted that the opening of Uzbekistan to foreign investment and international trade is important not only for the country itself, but also for Central Asia. In his opinion, developing free market principles, attracting foreign investment, and expanding international trade will strengthen Uzbekistan's integration into the world economy.