Rubio to Visit Samarkand for C5+1 Talks on Economic Cooperation
The US State Department says Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Samarkand, the historic Uzbek city, in mid-October at the head of a business delegation made up of executives from more than 100 major American companies. The main focus of the trip will be participation in the C5+1 foreign ministers’ meeting and talks on economic connectivity, energy security, trade and investment.
According to US officials, Rubio will also meet senior Uzbek officials and representatives from several other Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the visit. The agenda will include expanding trade, supporting economic modernisation and increasing the presence of US private sector companies in the region.
Sergio Gor, the US special envoy for South and Central Asia, described the trip as part of Washington’s efforts to strengthen its strategic partnership with Central Asia. He said the United States is seeking to open new avenues for diplomatic and commercial cooperation with countries in the region.
The US C5+1 mechanism brings together the United States and the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In recent years, the framework has become one of the main platforms for dialogue between Washington and the countries of the region on economic, security and political issues.
Central Asia has gained greater prominence in US foreign policy in recent years because of its energy resources, critical minerals and geostrategic location between China, Russia, Afghanistan and the Caspian Sea. Media reports have also previously shown that Washington is seeking to increase its economic presence in a region where China and Russia hold significant influence.
The upcoming meeting is also historically significant, as the C5+1 mechanism was first formed in Samarkand 10 years ago. The first official meeting of the format was held on Nov. 1, 2015, with then-US Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries in attendance.
The mechanism was elevated to the leaders’ level in September 2023, and its first summit was held in New York. In November 2025, US President Donald Trump hosted the presidents of the five Central Asian countries at the White House, a meeting that also emphasized trade, investment and strategic cooperation.
Afghanistan has been part of C5+1 discussions in past years. However, according to the latest US announcement about Rubio’s trip, Afghanistan is not among the main topics on the October agenda, and Washington’s stated focus is on the economy, energy and investment.
