Central Asian and US ministers to meet in Samarkand — what is on the agenda?
The visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Uzbekistan has begun, leading a delegation that brings together more than one hundred representatives of American companies. A meeting of the heads of foreign policy agencies in the C5+1 format will be held in Samarkand to discuss trade, private investment, and energy security.
Ministers of Central Asia and the US to meet in Samarkand — what is on the agenda?
According to the "Dunyo" news agency, Rubio's talks with the leadership of Uzbekistan and his counterparts from Central Asian countries are also planned as part of the visit.
During the meetings, special attention will be paid to expanding economic cooperation, developing transport and energy links, and strengthening regional connectivity. For Uzbekistan, attracting American investment and technology into industry, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and the digital economy are viewed as important areas.
The volume of trade turnover between the two countries exceeded one billion dollars in 2025. There are 346 enterprises with the participation of American capital operating in Uzbekistan. Of these, 143 are fully owned by American capital. Since 2017, 203 enterprises involving American investment have been established.
Among the companies operating in the Uzbek market are Air Products, General Electric, General Motors, Boeing, Honeywell, Coca-Cola, and John Deere.
In June 2026, representatives of 193 American companies attended the American–Uzbekistan Business Forum, held within the framework of the Tashkent International Investment Forum. Issues regarding investment projects and the expansion of business ties were considered during the event.
One of the specific areas of cooperation is critical minerals. In February 2026, Uzbekistan and the US signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ensuring the sustainability of critical minerals and rare earth element supplies. This is intended to serve as the basis for joint initiatives in the fields of geological exploration, extraction, and processing.
The C5+1 format was launched in November 2015 in Samarkand. It brings together the US and the five Central Asian states — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
The first leaders' summit within the framework of the format was held in 2023 in New York, and the second was held in November 2025 in Washington. During the events in Washington, American companies announced that they had reached commercial agreements worth more than 25 billion dollars with the countries of the region.
The report, citing data from the US Department of Commerce, also noted that the total volume of commercial agreements concluded by American entrepreneurs with Central Asian states exceeded 100 billion dollars. These figures represent the volume of announced deals, not investments that have already been realized.