Rubio announces introduction of US small reactors in Uzbekistan

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington is working on introducing American small modular nuclear reactors in Uzbekistan. He spoke on October 19 in Samarkand at a meeting of the US-Uzbek Business and Investment Council, which was attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

"We are introducing American small modular reactors and modernizing Uzbekistan's electrical grids and gas distribution system, thereby helping the government cope with the rapidly growing demand for energy," said Rubio. He did not specify which projects are being referred to, which US companies may participate in them, and at what stage the negotiations are.

In November 2025, the director of the Uzatom agency, Azim Akhmedkhadjaev, told Gazeta.uz that Uzbekistan is ready to explore American developments in this field and named the certified projects of Holtec, GE Hitachi, and NuScale. At the same time, on November 7, the US State Department, among the results of the negotiations between Mirziyoyev and Donald Trump in Washington, indicated Uzbekistan's commitment to purchase such reactors from American companies. The press service of Uzatom stated that the country has no such obligation.

Among other areas, Rubio mentioned the extraction and processing of critically important minerals with the participation of the Colorado School of Mines, a partnership between the University of Texas at Dallas and the Samarkand Quantum Center, and access for developers from IT Park to American chips and AI models. According to him, Boeing and GE Aerospace provide Uzbekistan's passenger aircraft with engines and components and train specialists. The Secretary of State also reported that AKFA Group will invest $80 million in production in Bowling Green (Kentucky), calling it the first Uzbek production in the US.