February 19, 1992, went down in history as the day of establishing diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and the United States. Over the past period, Uzbekistan – American relations were distinguished by their complex, long-term and multifaceted nature. Political dialogue is based on the generally recognized principles of international law, mutual respect, and consideration of each other’s interests.

Relations between Uzbekistan and the United States include cooperation in economics, education, security, and culture. The United States is an important trading partner for Uzbekistan, supporting the region’s development and strengthening of democratic institutions.

On March 16, 1992, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan officially opened its doors, and the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United States was opened in February 1993.

Since establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, large-scale activity has been carried out to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Declaration on the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States signed in 2002, played a decisive role in bilateral relations.

The official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the United States on May 15-17, 2018, gave a powerful impetus to developing relations. It was recognized by the top leadership of this state and representatives of American business and academic circles as a historical event that added new dynamics to multifaceted and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

In November 2020, Uzbekistan and the United States transformed annual bilateral consultations into a Strategic Partnership Dialogue. The parties are developing closer cooperation in politics, security, economics, and the human dimension within its framework.

In addition, on September 19, 2023, the general debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly took place at the UN Headquarters in New York. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the event. The President of Uzbekistan stated the need to preserve the spirit of harmony and practical cooperation and unite countries based on the idea that common interests are higher than existing contradictions. The President of Uzbekistan stated that despite global challenges, Uzbekistan is demonstrating stable growth rates. Over the past six years, the volume of gross domestic product has increased by more than one and a half times. The main goal is to double this figure by 2030. Also, a priority for the near future is joining the World Trade Organization.

Thanks to a policy aimed at improving the population’s standard of living, the country’s poverty level has halved since 2017. By 2030, it is planned to reduce it to 7 percent.

In recent years, interparliamentary relations and cooperation in security, law and through the ministries of defense have noticeably intensified. Leading experts from the two countries have met several times to exchange experience in these areas and discuss organizational and legal issues of relations between government bodies. The political mutual trust between states is the basis for partnership in other areas.

Several higher education institutions in Uzbekistan have established relations with the universities of Johns Hopkins, Washington, Indiana, California, Ohio, Arizona, and other higher education institutions. In September 2019, a branch of Webster University opened in Tashkent, becoming the first full-fledged branch of an American university in the CIS countries.

According to the published Open Door International Educational Exchange Report for 2023, the number of students from Uzbekistan studying in the United States exceeded 1,000 in 2022. In the 2022/23 academic year, a record number of our compatriots – 1089 – studied at higher education institutions in the United States.

The U.S. government welcomes the country’s comprehensive reforms to improve education quality and training base and strengthen teachers’ professional skills. The parties are interested in implementing joint projects in education and are committed to further deepening cooperation in science. Healthcare, environmental protection, IT, agriculture, seismology, and others are promising areas.

In general, at the present stage, the Uzbekistan – American dialogue is based on generally accepted principles and norms of international law, respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the two states, consideration of each other’s interests and commitment to democratic values.

Aziza Alimova, UzA