Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Press for Deals at Washington B20

Hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce, the B20 concluded on November 11. The event was presented as a platform for private-sector discussion of shared economic challenges, investment and innovation, and ways to strengthen the global economy. The presence of ministers and other senior officials from Astana and Tashkent signaled that the governments viewed the summit as more than a networking exercise.

Kazakhstan, which had the largest delegation, held a business roundtable titled “From Strategic Partnership to Concrete Projects.” The title reflected Astana’s focus on turning positive rhetoric into signed agreements.

Uzbek Trade Minister Laziz Kudratov also pointed to expanding commercial ties with the United States. Speaking at a B20-sponsored breakfast, he said the groundwork for deals had been laid. “We want to build on this momentum and develop new mutually beneficial partnerships,” he added.

The B20 followed an October C5+1 ministerial meeting in Samarkand, attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian countries, as well as a business forum attended by more than 200 US executives. These gatherings have helped prepare the ground for business deals, the article said. Attention is now shifting to the G20 meeting in Miami in December, where Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are due to attend. Expectations are high in Astana and Tashkent that agreements will be reached on the sidelines.