Growing relations between the US and Uzbekistan were on show as Saida Mirziyoyeva, the Uzbek president’s daughter and head of his presidential administration, travelled to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago luxury estate and Washington DC.

Mirziyoyeva, sometimes touted as a likely successor to her father, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.

The visit also coincided with the first meeting of the new American-Uzbek Business & Investment Council.

The US State Department said in a post on X that the United States is aiming for“high-standard investment in Uzbekistan’s critical minerals sector”.

The first meeting of the new American-Uzbek Business & Investment Council took place during Mirziyoyeva's visit (Credit: Saida Mirziyoyeva, Telegram).

Mirziyoyev has previously signalled Uzbekistan’s readiness to make major investments in the US economy. Uzbek consulates are being opened in a handful of American cities.

In late March, Trump sent a letter to the Uzbek leader inviting him to the next Board of Peace meeting as well as the G20 summit in Miami, scheduled for December. Mirziyoyev “is achieving great results in Uzbekistan”, Trump wrote.

Mirziyoyeva said the new business council will aim to strengthen links between US and Uzbek businesses and create a “solid institutional foundation for joint business ambitions.”

“The creation of the council was made possible by the high level of trust between the presidents of both countries,” she said.

Mirziyoyev proposed the establishment of the council at the C5+1 summit between the US and the five Central Asian states held at the White House in November last year.

It will oversee the creation of an investment fund for Uzbekistan, with the US International Development Finance Corporation serving as an anchor investor.

Priorities of the council will include tariff reduction talks, the diversification of Uzbekistan’s investment portfolio in the US and promoting services of IT Park Uzbekistan in the US.

In January 2026, the United States ranked 11th among Uzbekistan’s top 20 foreign trade partners. Trade between the two countries reached $93.3mn, up from $55mn in January 2025, marking a near 70% y/y increase, and up 56% versus January 2024.