Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has said that Uzbekistan chose to strengthen cooperation with Russia rather than join Western sanctions, signaling continued alignment between the two countries amid geopolitical tensions.

Galuzin said that Tashkent is maintaining a “balanced and mature” stance, resisting external pressure from the West while prioritizing long-term economic partnership with Moscow, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

He noted that Uzbekistan values its broad cooperation with Russia, describing it as mutually beneficial and strategically important for trade, investment, and regional security.

Galuzin pointed to several flagship joint projects as proof of deepening ties, including the construction of Uzbekistan’s first nuclear power plant, expansion of industrial capacity at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex, and the supply of Russian rolling stock for railways and metro systems.

The diplomat said that around 115 joint projects worth 3.2 trillion rubles are currently underway. Bilateral trade has reached $11.5 billion, while Russian investments in Uzbekistan’s economy total approximately $13 billion.

He also stressed that relations between Moscow and Tashkent are based on partnership rather than coercion, contrasting this with what he described as continued Western pressure.