The United States expects to sign agreements worth billions of dollars during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Central Asia, he said in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on October 19.
Rubio made the remarks while visiting Registan Square with Ms. Sayeda Mirziyoyeva, head of the Uzbek President’s Administration.
According to Rubio, representatives of nearly 300 US companies interested in expanding economic cooperation with Central Asian countries have arrived in Samarkand.
He said Washington aims to strengthen trade and investment ties not only with Uzbekistan but also with other countries in the region. The expected agreements, he added, should bring economic benefits to both the United States and its Central Asian partners. The specific deals expected to be signed have not yet been disclosed.
US companies were preparing to announce new agreements in Uzbekistan as Washington seeks to expand its economic presence in Central Asia and diversify critical mineral supplies, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Euronews on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio said the deals could mark the start of broader US engagement with a region he believes American policymakers have paid too little attention to.
Asked by Euronews what people in Uzbekistan could expect from the visit and the accompanying business delegation, Rubio said, “I think we’ll have some concrete deals to announce.”
He said US companies were keen to do business in Uzbekistan and that announcements would follow the forum’s meetings. “This is not the end. This is the beginning,” he added.
According to Euronews, Rubio said nearly 300 American businesses were represented in Samarkand, where they were discussing agreements potentially worth billions of dollars.
The US State Department had previously said more than 200 US business leaders were accompanying his trip. No final list of agreements or values had been announced at the time of his remarks.
Rubio arrived in Samarkand on Sunday evening, October 18, ahead of talks with representatives of the five Central Asian countries as Washington seeks to expand diplomatic, economic and security cooperation with the region.
On October 19, Samarkand is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from the five Central Asian countries and the United States under the C5+1 format.
Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin and his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are attending the meeting, which focuses on strengthening regional cooperation with Washington, particularly in trade and investment.
Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry told Asia-Plus that Muhriddin is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Rubio on the sidelines of the meeting.