Uzbekistan: From a Vulnerable Position to Economic Leadership in the Region

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In a world where geography often dictates economic fate, Uzbekistan—a double landlocked country—demonstrates that limited location is not a sentence. On the contrary, Uzbekistan transforms its Central Asian position into a strategic advantage by opening doors for international business, creating B2B interaction platforms, and attracting billions of dollars in investments.

Geography as a Challenge—and as a Strategy

Lack of access to the sea complicates logistics, increases export and import costs, and requires the development of multilateral transport routes. Instead of isolation, Uzbekistan relies on international cooperation and diplomatic activity. Under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the country has become a dynamic investment platform actively integrating into global value chains.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has turned this geographical challenge into an economic advantage through active foreign economic policies, large-scale investment diplomacy, and a proactive approach to organizing business forums and B2B platforms.

Uzbekistan: The Vanguard of B2B Diplomacy in Central Asia

Uzbekistan has recently become an active initiator of major international business forums, high-level meetings, and regular B2B and G2B negotiations. These events serve as key points of convergence between Uzbek companies and foreign investors, creating a foundation for joint ventures, direct investments, and technology transfer.

Systematic work aimed at diversifying trade and economic relations and strengthening the investment climate has reached new heights during international visits by the country's leadership. During visits to the UAE, Turkey, Hungary, France, Germany, China, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and other countries, dozens of business forums, roundtables, and B2B meetings were held with leading global companies—from ACWA Power and Masdar to Huawei, BYD, and Saudi Aramco.

At these platforms, not only were prospects discussed, but real agreements were signed, joint working groups created, and projects launched in energy, transport, pharmaceuticals, digital economy, and logistics. These meetings are vivid proof of how targeted B2B diplomacy can transform into sustainable investment flows and technology transfer.

Highlight: Tashkent International Investment Forum, June 2025

The event gathered over 3,000 participants from 97 countries and featured meetings with representatives of global corporations including Boeing, Visa, NASDAQ, Air Products, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola, Franklin Templeton, ACWA Power, Masdar, Total Energies, Linde, DataVolt, Veon, Meta, John Deere, SpaceX, EDF, Goldwind, Çalik Holding, and Çengiz Holding. These companies represent leaders in aviation, fintech, green energy, digital solutions, and infrastructure.

Participants included EBRD head Odile Renault-Basso, NBR Dilma Rousseff, and 450 high-level guests, of whom over 300 were government representatives.

In April 2025, the EU–Central Asia Summit was held in Samarkand, where a $13.2 billion investment package was signed for green energy and logistics.

A series of bilateral forums were held from South Asia to Europe, including in Pakistan with companies such as Al Rafique Enterprises, Mehran Dates, Brighto Chemicals, FWO, Pakistan Mobile, TCS, Silk Way, and Getz Pharm, discussing projects in agro-industry, logistics, and telecommunications.

At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the UAE, priorities for green economic transformation were outlined. Masdar became Uzbekistan’s flagship partner in hydrogen energy, solar power plants, and eco-technologies.

In June 2025, in Saudi Arabia, within the Foreign Investors Council framework, cooperation with ACWA Power deepened, implementing billion-dollar projects in Karakalpakstan and Jizzakh.

Hungary adopted an investment plan for the IT sector and digital economy.

In Vietnam, the organization of a business exhibition in Hanoi was discussed, focusing on industrial cooperation in textiles, electrical engineering, and agricultural production.

Forums were also held with business circles from Japan (210 participants), Indonesia, Malaysia, Italy (forums on technical education, transport, textiles), Azerbaijan (SOCAR, PASHA Holding, Global Textile), Afghanistan (over 1,000 businessmen, 75 companies), and Kyrgyzstan—over 100 companies held negotiations.

Investment Results: From Words to Action

The results of the first half of 2025 confirmed the effectiveness of this strategy. Under the State Investment Program, $18.7 billion in foreign investment was planned, but $20.99 billion was actually attracted, exceeding the previous year's figure by 135%. Of these, $18.8 billion were direct foreign investments, and another $2.2 billion were funds from international financial institutions.

Leading sectors include energy (+106%), geology (1.7 times growth), road infrastructure (also 1.7 times growth), and healthcare (2 times growth). Successes are observed not only in Tashkent ($1.7 billion, 2.4 times growth) but also in regions: Namangan region – $626.6 million, Navoi – $358 million, Fergana – $446 million, among others.

Special attention is paid to investments in Uzbekistan’s regions: Karmaninsky, Mirzo-Ulugbek, Almazar, Yunusabad, and other districts have reached more than $200 million in invested funds. International partnerships also show strong dynamics: China – $7.6 billion, Turkey – $1.6 billion, UAE – $719 million, etc.

One clear result of the B2B format was the commissioning of 30 large facilities worth $2.5 billion, creating over 3,200 jobs. The largest projects included the casting and rolling complex of JSC "Uzmetkombinat" in Bekabad ($834 million) and the glass production facility "Mingyuan Silu Industry" in Jizzakh ($70 million).

Regional Investment Program: Development with a Human Face

Investment expansion is also spreading to the regions. Direct negotiations and B2B meetings with local authorities and investors became an important tool for identifying local potential. Within the approved State Program of Regional Investments for 2025, 8,012 projects worth $13.4 billion are planned, creating 272.1 thousand jobs.

In the first half of the year, 3,464 projects worth $2.2 billion were commissioned, providing 77.2 thousand jobs. Over 1,000 of these were implemented ahead of schedule. Among them: “Terry Jar Textile” in Kasansay ($26.5 million, 650 jobs), “VBM Fabrics” in Andijan ($41 million, 500 jobs), “Hiyang Yang Group” in Kagan ($20 million, 300 jobs).

In the second half, more than 4,900 projects worth $11.6 billion are planned to launch, creating 210 thousand jobs. These include the logistics center “UzAgroLogistic Centers” in Andijan district ($87.4 million, 1,200 jobs), yarn production enterprise “Terra Tex” in Balikchi ($79 million, 1,500 jobs), and textile cluster “Kumtex Invest” in Kumkurgan ($57.2 million, 860 jobs).

Geopolitics of Logistics: Diversification of Transport Corridors

For Uzbekistan, as a landlocked country, the development of alternative transport routes is crucial. The country focuses on expanding and diversifying transport corridors: through Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and the Caucasus to ports of the Persian Gulf and Black Sea, as well as through China and Kazakhstan to East Asian and European markets.

Multimodal logistics centers, dry ports, and railway lines are being designed and developed within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) initiative and the “China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan” project.

Conclusion

Using its geographic advantages, Uzbekistan strengthens direct interaction with key players in energy and ecology: Masdar, ACWA Power, Goldwind, Total Energies, Linde invest in green energy, renewable energy sources (RES), energy storage systems, and hydrogen solutions.

In digital transformation: DataVolt, Veon, Meta, Visa, NASDAQ, and IT Park lay the foundation for digital platforms and ecosystems.

In infrastructure and logistics: John Deere, Çalik, Çengiz, SOCAR discuss railways, agro-technology, and industrial infrastructure.

The country actively employs B2B tools—Uzbekistan has created a sustainable investment cooperation model through forums, G2B, B2B, and investor meetings, integrating business into the diplomatic agenda.

Geography is used as a fulcrum—the country leverages its position to develop transit corridors: China–Central Asia–Europe, Iran–Turkmenistan–Caspian, initiating “dry ports” and multimodal hubs projects.

Focus on sustainability and innovation—investments concentrate in strategic sectors: energy, IT, industry, healthcare.

The path chosen by Uzbekistan proves that even countries with limited geography and transit vulnerability can become growth points. The skillful combination of strategic planning, investment diplomacy, and direct B2B interaction allows the republic to implement large-scale projects, transform regions, and integrate into global production chains. Uzbekistan offers a new model—from vulnerability to economic leadership in the region. This challenge became an opportunity. And this is the main lesson for other developing landlocked countries.