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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday for talks with Central Asian officials, as the Trump administration seeks to strengthen ties with a resource-rich region bordering China, Russia and Iran.
Rubio is meeting representatives of the C5+1 format, which brings together the United States, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, AnewZ reports. More than 200 business leaders are accompanying him on the trip, according to the US State Department.
The visit comes as Washington faces several foreign policy challenges, including the war with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s conflict with the Houthis and renewed tensions with Ukraine.
Washington seeks to expand ties with the region
US officials say Central Asia deserves greater attention from Washington because of its strategic location and natural resources. The administration’s commercial engagement is focused on expanding access to the region’s critical minerals, including rare earth elements.
Trump hosted the leaders of the five countries at the White House last November. Kazakhstan agreed at the time to join the Abraham Accords, agreements under which Muslim-majority countries have normalized or deepened relations with Israel. Reuters reported last year that the United States had also discussed the accords with other Central Asian countries.
Before leaving Washington on Saturday, Rubio said diplomacy often focused on crises rather than long-term relationships. “One of the things that suffers is strategic business,” he told reporters, adding that officials’ trips were often prompted by “a crisis, a problem or a conference.”
Concerns over sanctions evasion against Russia
Central Asia’s longstanding ties with Moscow remain a key issue for Washington. Western officials say the region has facilitated Russian trade in ways that violate US and European Union sanctions.
A Central Asian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said regional officials wanted clarity on whether Washington would continue measures to prevent Russia from evading sanctions as the Trump administration eased some restrictions on Russian oil.
Trump reached an agreement with Moscow this month on US imports of Russian diesel fuel, aiming to lower fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. On Friday, he suspended provisions of legislation that would allow the United States to impose high tariffs on countries buying large volumes of Russian crude or helping Moscow evade sanctions. The measures could have affected India and Kazakhstan, according to experts cited by Reuters.
Rubio’s next stop is India
Rubio will then travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar, India, where he is expected to meet business representatives, including Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries. Ambani won favor with the Trump administration this year by backing a new oil refinery in Texas.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Friday, said a trade deal with India was “almost ready,” raising the possibility it could be announced during the visit. Trump has previously said New Delhi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil, although India remains the world’s second-largest importer of Russian crude after China.
