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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Samarkand on 19 October for a ministerial meeting under the C5+1 format, bringing together the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan alongside their American counterpart, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Omonulla Fayziyev announced on Thursday.
On the same day, Rubio and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov will hold what Fayziyev described as the first round of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue between the two countries — a new bilateral mechanism aimed at deepening ties across political, trade, economic and investment tracks, as well as regional and international issues.
The visit carries a pronounced commercial dimension. The US Department of State said this week that Rubio would lead an American business delegation of more than 200 company representatives, describing the trip as “ushering in a new era of strengthened commercial cooperation for the United States and Central Asia.” Meetings between those business leaders and their counterparts from Central Asian countries are also scheduled on the margins of the ministerial gathering.
The C5+1 format, which groups Washington with the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, has served as the principal multilateral channel for US engagement with the region on security, connectivity and economic development. Convening the dialogue at the level of foreign ministers in Samarkand — Uzbekistan’s second city and a historic Silk Road hub — signals continued American interest in the region at a senior diplomatic level.
The bilateral Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue with Uzbekistan is a distinct addition to the day’s agenda, suggesting Washington intends to pursue a deeper one-on-one relationship with Tashkent beyond the five-country framework. No further details of the dialogue’s agenda or expected outcomes were provided by the foreign ministry.