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Latin Times
Latin Times
Politics
José Gutierrez

Rubio Arrives in Samarkand With 300 US Execs and a Minerals Mandate — What Washington Wants From Central Asia

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (3rd L) poses for a C5+1 Ministerial family photo with Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev (L), Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi (2nd L), Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov (3rd R), Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov (2nd R), and Tajikistan's Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin (R) at the Congress Center in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on October 19, 2026. (Credit: Photo by Kylie Cooper / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

UPDATE - 5:30 p.m. EDT: C5+1 Ministerial Concludes with Joint Statement
The ministerial closed with all six parties — the U.S. and the five Central Asian foreign ministers — releasing a formal joint statement titled "C5+1: Historic Partnership, Prosperous Future," structured around seven thematic commitments: enduring sovereignty-based partnership, Trans-Caspian Trade Route expansion, Central Asian economic integration, energy and minerals cooperation, security (counterterrorism, cybersecurity, nuclear), cultural heritage protection, and collective responses to global challenges. Full text: state.gov


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