The United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia, Professor the Lord Alderdice FRCPsych, concluded a multi-day visit to Uzbekistan focused on strengthening economic cooperation and unlocking opportunities in infrastructure, critical minerals, capital markets and education.
During the visit, Lord Alderdice held meetings with senior government counterparts and partners in Tashkent, and travelled to Samarkand and Navoi, including a site visit to NMMC and to Muruntau – one of the world’s largest open-pit gold mines. He delivered the keynote address at the UK-Uzbekistan Infrastructure Conference alongside Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, setting out the UK offer on high-quality, sustainable infrastructure finance and partnership through UK Export Finance (UKEF).
Discussions also advanced cooperation under the UK-Uzbekistan Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding, and explored the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as a platform for Uzbekistan’s planned privatisations and listings, including the National Investment Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UzNIF) and NMMC. The visit further highlighted education and Transnational Education (TNE) opportunities with leading Uzbek partners.
"Uzbekistan’s ambitious reform agenda is opening real opportunities for our businesses and institutions to work together for mutual prosperity," said Lord Alderdice. "From infrastructure and responsible mining to capital markets and education, the UK stands ready to support high-quality projects that deliver lasting benefits for people and the economy."
The visit builds momentum ahead of the CA5+UK engagement later in February and the next UK–Uzbekistan Joint Economic Committee planned for late Spring 2026.
