Uzbekistan pursues its active participation in peace-making throughout the world. And these are not just words, but a long-term policy of a state that has defined stability, tolerance, and the creation of favorable conditions for raising the standard of living of its population, which is largely achieved by ensuring harmony and stability throughout the world, using all available means to achieve this. One of them is the Board of Peace, of which our country became one of the first members.

The participation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, held on February 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C., was an important international event not only in political but also in economic terms. The speech of the head of state reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s unwavering position: peace, dialogue, and creativity are the foundation of state policy and the basis of sustainable development.

In his speech, Shavkat Miromonovich emphasized Uzbekistan’s readiness to support initiatives aimed at strengthening of global stability. In particular, it was noted that our country is ready to make a feasible contribution to the socio-economic recovery of the Gaza Strip, including the construction of residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. This position follows-up the country’s foreign policy, based on the principles of good-neighborly relations, openness and mutual respect. For Uzbekistan, peace is not a declaration, but a practical policy, consistently implemented at the regional and international levels.

Participation in the meeting of the Board of Peace was also accompanied by the resolution of numerous mutually beneficial economic issues. Thus, during Sh. Mirziyoyev’s visit, a number of significant meetings were held, which became significant in strengthening of the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States of America. In recent years, the dialogue between our countries has become systemic, and the agreements reached are filled with specific economic content. The agreements already signed and the investment mechanisms adopted indicate growing trust and mutual interest in long-term cooperation.

And for our Complex, as one of the leading mining and metallurgical enterprises in the country and the Central Asian region, solutions aimed at stimulating our future operations are very relevant. I would fully attribute to these the launch of the Investment Platform for the systematic promotion of priority projects and the further activation of the Business Council, created for the dynamic development of bilateral relations. Thanks in large part to it, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the United States exceeded USD 1 billion in 2025. There are currently approximately 340 American companies operating in the country.

For the mining and metallurgical industry of the republic, the processes launched during the meetings and negotiations that have already taken place open up new prospects. The agreements reached to develop cooperation in the field of critical minerals form the basis for deepening of cooperation in geological exploration, extraction, and processing of strategically important resources. Today, critical materials are becoming a key factor in global technological development, energy transition and industrial modernization.

Uzbekistan has significant reserves of copper, gold, uranium and other strategic resources. Combined with smart national policy and international partnerships, this creates a solid foundation for a qualitative leap forward for the entire industry.

It is important to note that the development of the mining and metallurgical complex is today regarded not only as an economic task, but also as part of a broader mission – strengthening of the country’s resilience, creation of jobs, improvement of well-being of the population, and technological modernization of industry.

The Board of Peace became a platform where a simple but fundamental truth was once again emphasized: sustainable development is only possible under the conditions of peace and trust. For us, a powerful industrial enterprise, this is especially clear: no investment project, no large-scale production can develop in an atmosphere of instability.

And so, I can positively say that the workforce of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex fully supports Uzbekistan’s example of responsible, pragmatic, and open policies. I believe it is safe to assume that all domestic enterprises are ready to follow this line with tangible results – modernization of production, expansion of international cooperation, and implementation of new investment projects.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the world is a space of possibilities. And we intend to use these opportunities for the benefit of our home country, its economy and future generations.