Uzbekistan, Sweden Sign Mining MOU to Boost Ties

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan and Sweden have formalized an expanded mining partnership, signing a memorandum of understanding that brings Scandinavian industrial giants deeper into Central Asia's resource sector.

The agreement was concluded on June 10 at Uzbekistan's Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology following talks with a Swedish business delegation led by Diana Janse, State Secretary at Sweden's Ministry for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.

Negotiations covered the broadening of bilateral ties in mining and geology, with both sides reviewing outcomes of an Uzbek delegation's visit to Sweden in March of this year. Discussions also addressed ongoing joint projects already underway in the sector involving international companies Epiroc, Volvo CE, ABB, and Green 14.

Key agenda items included the introduction of modern technologies into Uzbekistan's mining sector, workforce training, investment project implementation, and the application of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) principles alongside international sustainable development standards.

The memorandum, signed between Uzbekistan's Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology and Sweden's Ministry for International Development and Foreign Trade, provides the institutional framework for deepened cooperation across all these areas.

The meeting builds on growing momentum between the two countries in the extractive industries, as Uzbekistan continues to attract European technology partners to modernize its mining operations.