US Treats Developing Ties With Central Asian States as a Priority, Rubio Says

The United States considers developing relations with Central Asian states a priority and aims to deepen cooperation with countries in the region. US Secretary of State and Presidential Assistant for National Security Affairs Marco Rubio made the statement to journalists before departing for Uzbekistan.

Rubio said, “This is not only about Uzbekistan. Relations with the other four Central Asian countries are also of great importance for us.” He said direct ties with regional states play an important role in strengthening cooperation, and he stressed the strategic importance of his upcoming visit to Uzbekistan.

During the trip, Rubio will attend a meeting of foreign ministers in the C5+1 format and hold bilateral talks with representatives of Central Asian countries. The C5+1 platform, created in 2015, brings together the United States and five Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. According to the US State Department, representatives of more than 200 leading American companies will also travel to Uzbekistan. Washington hopes the visit will lay the foundation for a new stage in trade relations between the US and Central Asian countries.