Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and fellow Central Asian ministers to Samarkand on Tuesday, inaugurating the latest C5+1 ministerial meeting with a call to elevate the strategic partnership between the United States and the region.
Speaking in the historic city that hosted the inaugural C5+1 ministerial in 2015, Saidov noted that Central Asia has since grown “stronger, more united, and increasingly capable of shaping its own future.” He credited the “friendly and trust-based dialogue” between regional presidents and the United States—highlighting the attention of President Donald Trump—for opening a new chapter in relations.
“Today we have an opportunity to give the C5+1 partnership a new strategic dimension,” Saidov said. He outlined a vision focused on unlocking Central Asia’s potential as an integrated region through strengthened economic connectivity, advanced technology investment, and expanded access to global markets. As Uzbekistan assumes the C5+1 co-chairmanship from Turkmenistan, Saidov announced a priority initiative to advance a strategic partnership in critical minerals—spanning geological exploration, processing, and the establishment of local industrial clusters.
Secretary Rubio echoed the sentiment, describing Central Asia as the “heartland of both Asia and Europe” and a historic crossroads now poised to resume its vital role in transnational commerce. He emphasized the U.S. objective to secure critical supply chains and reduce reliance on risky foreign partners, framing the C5+1 as a vehicle for mutual sovereignty and collective prosperity.
Rubio pointed to tangible progress since last year’s White House summit, which he said yielded $25 billion in new deals across transportation, energy, and finance. He outlined immediate priorities for the current session: enhancing the Trans-Caspian trade route infrastructure, driving integrated supply chains through the critical minerals dialogue, training thousands of young professionals in U.S. technology for Central Asia’s tech sectors, and leveraging the B5+1 business forum to boost two-way trade and investment.
“The countries gathered here this week are all unique, sovereign, independent states with distinct cultures and distinct interests, all in charge of their own destinies,” Rubio said. “We in the United States want to see them thrive as independent states, and we want to partner with them as they do so.”
Following the opening remarks, Saidov thanked Rubio for his “strong commitment to developing a long-term partnership” and dismissed the press to allow closed-door discussions to commence.