The key facts

  • Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand on October 18, visited Registan on October 19, and held a briefing for journalists.
  • The US expects to sign agreements worth 'billions of dollars'; the delegation includes nearly 300 American companies.
  • On October 19, the C5+1 summit, the business council meeting, and the first round of the dialogue on an expanded strategic partnership between the US and Uzbekistan are scheduled.

Visit to Samarkand

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand on the evening of October 18. At the airport, he was greeted by the head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, and Donald Trump's special envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, who had arrived in the country earlier. On the morning of October 19, Rubio visited Registan Square and held a briefing with journalists, noting that Samarkand 'has been at the crossroads of world trade for centuries.'

Statements on deals and partnership

At the briefing, Rubio said that representatives of nearly 300 companies had arrived as part of the American delegation, and that following the meetings there is a possibility of signing agreements worth 'billions of dollars,' which, according to him, will benefit both the countries of the region and the US. He emphasized that the US wants to be a 'strong partner' for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries interested in expanding trade and business ties. In his view, bilateral relations are defined by opportunities rather than contradictions, and 'nothing strengthens relations better than shared prosperity.'

Possible Trump visit

Answering a question about a possible visit by US President Donald Trump to Uzbekistan, Rubio said that the parties want to work on this: to organize such a visit and consider suitable dates within the next year. He added that, in his opinion, if such an opportunity arises, Trump will come — the president himself, according to the Secretary of State, has said so as well.

Program of events on October 19

The main event of the visit, according to the State Department announcement, will be a meeting of the foreign ministers of Central Asian countries and the US in the C5+1 format, dedicated to strategic cooperation. Rubio will also hold bilateral talks with representatives of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. In addition, he and the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, will hold the first round of the dialogue on an expanded strategic partnership between the two countries.

Business program

On October 19, the second meeting of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council is also taking place in Samarkand. According to the press service of the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, six sectoral sessions are planned: digital technologies, education and healthcare, mineral resources, energy and transport, agriculture and textile industry, finance and investment. After them, direct negotiations between companies and meetings on project parameters and funding sources will take place.

Participating companies

As reported, Citigroup, JP Morgan, and Franklin Templeton will take part in the finance session. In the mineral resources session, Traxys, FLSmidth, and ReElement are announced: an agreement has been signed with FLSmidth to create a joint venture for the production of mining and processing equipment, and an arrangement has been reached with ReElement on developing tungsten deposits. Boeing, Wabtec, and Air Products are participating in the transport and energy sessions, Google and Meta in the digital agenda, GE HealthCare in healthcare, and Valmont Industries in agriculture. In addition to panel sessions, direct B2B and B2G negotiations are being held on investment initiatives, the terms of their implementation, and financing mechanisms.