US and Uzbekistan Conclude More Than 50 Contracts Worth $12 Billion

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday ahead of regional engagements on trade, investment and strategic cooperation. He led a delegation of more than 200 business executives during his first official visit to Central Asia.

The United States and Uzbekistan concluded more than 50 contracts with a combined value of $12 billion in sectors including technology, industrial modernisation, transport and energy.

Rubio was scheduled to meet the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries under the C5+1 framework on Monday. In Uzbekistan, he was set to join foreign ministers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic for the C5+1 Ministerial. Those discussions were expected to focus on trade, investment, critical minerals and regional security.

In a joint statement after the talks, the United States and the five Central Asian countries pledged to strive for a Central Asia that returns to the center of the global economy, including through development of the Trans-Caspian trade route.

Rubio said the United States wanted to be a strong partner for Central Asian countries seeking more business and trade with it. A senior State Department official said Rubio's visit demonstrated US goodwill toward a deepening Central Asian partnership, especially in energy.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor welcomed Rubio and called his arrival a historic day. Gor said the C5+1 Ministerial and US-Uzbekistan Business Council would deepen commercial ties and unlock opportunities across Central Asia.