Prime Highlights-
- Rubio will lead executives from more than 100 American companies to Uzbekistan for C5+1 ministerial talks in Samarkand in mid-October.
- Talks will focus on regional connectivity and energy security while Uzbekistan seeks American investment in domestic mineral processing plants.
Key Facts-
- The C5+1 format links the United States with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
- The November 2025 Deal Zone event produced more than $25 billion in announced commercial deals.
Background-
Uzbekistan will host Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Samarkand in mid-October, when he will meet Central Asian foreign ministers with a delegation of executives from more than 100 American companies in tow.
Sergio Gor, the U.S. special envoy for South and Central Asia, announced the trip in a statement posted by the U.S. Embassy in India. He said the talks will focus on deepening regional economic connectivity and enhancing energy security, along with other shared priorities.
The visit will run alongside a C5+1 ministerial meeting, which brings together the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Rubio said in November 2025 that he planned to visit all five Central Asian countries in 2026. The Samarkand trip gives that plan a first destination and timeframe.
The visit builds on the C5+1 summit that President Donald Trump hosted in Washington on November 6, 2025. The U.S. Commerce Department said the summit’s Deal Zone event produced more than $25 billion in announced deals.
Uzbekistan Airways finalized an order for eight more Boeing 787-9 jets, lifting its total to 22 Dreamliners. Kazakhstan’s agreements included a $1.1 billion tungsten project and a $2 billion AI-chip memorandum.
Critical minerals cooperation has also moved forward. Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau signed a minerals supply memorandum in February.
Uzbekistan is seeking foreign technology and investment to build value-added production, and October’s talks offer a chance to turn that memorandum into processing facilities at home.