US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for talks with the leaders and foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries, as Washington seeks to expand economic, investment and security cooperation with the region, according to an article by Alex Raufoglu, RFE/RL’s senior correspondent in Washington, D.C., published on Radio Liberty’s website on October 17. More than 200 American companies are reportedly expected to accompany the US delegation, a senior State Department official said.
Rubio is scheduled to meet representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan within the C5+1 diplomatic format.
Speaking to reporters before departing Joint Base Andrews, Rubio said the trip was intended to strengthen long-term partnerships rather than respond to a single international crisis.
“One of the things that suffers is the strategic business,” he said, referring to how urgent international issues can overshadow other diplomatic priorities.
Central Asia’s strategic location between Europe and Asia, along with its energy and mineral resources, makes it an important partner for Washington. The region’s governments also maintain significant economic and security ties with Russia and China.
More than 200 US companies to join the visit
A senior State Department official said during a background briefing on October 16 that more than 200 American companies would accompany Rubio to Samarkand. The delegation is expected to include representatives of Boeing, Citibank and Franklin Templeton, as well as businesses operating in critical minerals and other strategic sectors.
Officials from the US International Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the National Security Council and the State Department will also take part in meetings aimed at connecting American businesses with regional partners.
“For too long, the United States has focused on the Middle East and the East, and this area in the middle, Central Asia, has not gotten the attention that it deserves,” the official said.
According to the official, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan generated more than $30 billion in new investments into the United States over the past year.
Republican Senator John Curtis, a supporter of stronger US engagement with the region, said Central Asia’s stability was essential to American interests. He also highlighted the region’s critical mineral resources as an important opportunity for cooperation.
Kazakhstan’s possible accession to the Abraham Accords
The briefing also addressed Kazakhstan’s announced intention to join the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic normalization between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
The senior State Department official said Washington was working toward a possible signing ceremony but did not provide a date.
“Stay tuned,” the official said, expressing hope that the process would be completed “sooner than later.”
The official added that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan had been invited to attend the Group of 20 summit as observers for the first time. All five Central Asian presidents have also publicly invited US President Donald Trump to visit their countries.
Security cooperation also on the agenda
Beyond trade and investment, Washington is seeking to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation with some Central Asian countries. The official did not identify the countries involved or provide details of the initiatives.
The renewed outreach comes as regional governments seek to diversify their international partnerships while maintaining complex relationships with Russia and China. The official said the US initiative was focused on commercial opportunities, stronger diplomatic ties and shared security concerns rather than displacing either power.
Samarkand, a historic Silk Road trading center, is hosting bilateral meetings and the C5+1 gathering.