A New Great Game Is Underway in Central Asia

In mid-February, the U.S. government struck an agreement with Uzbekistan to gain better access to the Central Asian country’s critical minerals. The Joint Investment Framework between the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. (DFC) and Central Asia’s most populous country sought to advance cooperation between the two nations by prioritizing investments across the critical mineral value chain, including exploration, extraction, and processing. The deal, described as “historic” by the DFC, also proposed a new U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Investment Holding Co. for future minerals and infrastructure projects. The move was the result of U.S. efforts since Trump’s return to the White House to…