US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, late Sunday night at the head of a delegation of more than 200 US business leaders, in what is being described as his first trip to Central Asia.
Rubio is scheduled to attend the Central Asian-American ministerial meeting, known as “C51,” and meet with business leaders. The US-Uzbekistan Trade and Investment Council meeting will also be held.
This trip aims to expand economic relations, increase trade and investment opportunities, and strengthen US cooperation with Central Asian countries.
Rubio had previously called the C51+ summit an opportunity to expand regional connectivity, trade cooperation, and economic initiatives, and to strengthen peace and prosperity between the United States and its Central Asian partners.
