Washington's Central Asia Agenda Turns Commercial, and Uzbekistan Moves to the Front, Polish Analysis Finds
A new analysis from Warsaw's Centre for Eastern Studies, reported on October 31, concludes that US engagement with Central Asia is now driven mainly by minerals, transport and technology, with Uzbekistan gaining ground on Kazakhstan as Washington's preferred partner.
Washington's approach to Central Asia has shifted from security and governance concerns toward commercial priorities, according to an assessment by Poland's Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), reported by bne IntelliNews on October 31.
The analysis points to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's October 19 trip to Samarkand, his first to the region. He was accompanied by a large American business delegation. The visit produced 54 trade, investment and technology agreements that Uzbek authorities value at about $12 billion once implemented. They span critical minerals, aviation, rail equipment, finance, agriculture and digital infrastructure. Uzbekistan also joined the Artemis Accords, and both sides are weighing a direct Tashkent–Miami flight.
OSW notes that Kazakhstan has concluded 29 agreements worth nearly $17 billion with US counterparts since the November 2025 Washington summit. Even so, the think tank suggests Tashkent may now rank ahead of Astana in US priorities. One reason is that Uzbekistan sits outside the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Rubio also announced that President Trump plans to visit Uzbekistan in 2027.
For companies weighing the region, the message is that senior US attention is currently focused on supply-chain security and concrete projects. OSW cautions, however, that Chinese firms retain a strong foothold in regional mining and transport.
Source: bne IntelliNews, "US trades democracy agenda for economic ties in Central Asia," October 31, 2026, summarizing an OSW Centre for Eastern Studies analysis: https://www.intellinews.com/us-trades-democracy-agenda-for-economic-ties-in-central-asia-480571/
Deal figures cross-checked against the Government of Uzbekistan, "Agreements worth $12 billion signed between Uzbekistan and the USA," October 20, 2026: https://gov.uz/en/news/view/235113
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio with the Central Asian foreign ministers at the C5+1 Ministerial, Samarkand, October 19, 2026. Official U.S. Department of State photo by Freddie Everett (public domain).