Marco Rubio: Cooperation with Uzbekistan Is Important to Us

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that his visit to Samarkand is not prompted by any crisis or problem, but aims to develop relations between the two countries. During the visit, which runs from 17 to 22 October, Rubio will take part in a C5+1 ministerial meeting and hold talks with Uzbek leadership. He arrived in Samarkand together with a US delegation of more than 200 business representatives.

Rubio explained his decision to visit Central Asia now by saying the dates were convenient for gathering leaders of the region's five countries. “This is a good time to work with these leaders. It is not only about Uzbekistan, but also the other four Central Asian countries. There are important relations here,” he said before departing.

Rubio also noted that strategic visits are often postponed because of global crises, but Washington pays particular attention to developing relations with its partners. “There are countries we go to because we want to strengthen our relations,” Rubio added.