BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11. Uzbekistan and Japanese companies are exploring new investment, technology and financing opportunities in critical minerals.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzbekistan Technological Metals Complex (TMK), following a meeting between the management of TMK and a delegation of Japanese business representatives led by Masayuki Tanimoto, Chairman of the Japan-Uzbekistan Committee for Economic Cooperation and Senior Corporate Adviser to the President of Mitsubishi Corporation.
Accoeding to the information, representatives of Mitsubishi Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, Innoventier LPC, URYU & ITOGA, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), the Japan Business Association ROTOBO and other organizations participated in the meeting.
"The discussions focused on expanding Uzbekistan-Japan cooperation in critical minerals, developing investment and financing mechanisms, attracting advanced technologies, producing higher-value-added products and establishing sustainable supply chains," TMK said in a statement.
The Japanese side emphasized the importance of diversifying critical raw-material supply chains and developing long-term ties with reliable partners, identifying Uzbekistan as a promising partner in this area.
“Japan views Uzbekistan as a promising partner for diversifying critical raw-material supply chains and developing reliable, long-term cooperation,” the Japanese side said.
The sides discussed a number of practical areas for cooperation, including supplying critical metals to the Japanese market and attracting Japanese companies to prospective mining and processing projects in Uzbekistan.
They also considered opportunities to involve Japanese financial institutions in project financing and jointly produce higher-value-added products at the Future Metals technology park.
Additional proposals included launching joint projects through the R&D Park and introducing advanced Japanese technologies into Uzbekistan’s critical-minerals sector.
The cooperation could help Uzbekistan move beyond the extraction of mineral resources toward deeper processing and the production of higher-value-added materials, while giving Japanese companies access to new sources of critical raw materials.
The parties agreed to step up work on prospective projects, continue targeted negotiations with Japanese companies and financial institutions, and develop specific investment, technological and financing proposals.
The meeting reflects growing economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan in strategic industries, with critical minerals emerging as an important area for investment, technology transfer and supply-chain development.
