Marco Rubio in Samarkand: The US will not demand that Central Asia choose partners

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 19 at Registan Square in Samarkand that the US does not intend to demand that Central Asian countries limit cooperation with anyone. He arrived the day before for the C5+1 meeting and the session of the US-Uzbekistan Business Council, accompanied by representatives of more than 200 American companies. Rubio called Uzbekistan's economic growth

tafs uz editorial deskFirst published on tafs uz 19 October 2026 at 18:101 min readAI translation

The key facts

Rubio: the US did not come to demand an end to cooperation with anyone, but to be visible where American business is welcome
Representatives of more than 200 major American companies arrived in Samarkand
Rubio called Uzbekistan's economic growth results over the decade

Statement at the Registan

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 19, during a visit to Registan Square in Samarkand, that the US does not intend to tell Central Asian countries whom to cooperate with. Asked what the US can offer the region against the backdrop of China's growing influence, he said:

Fair competition

Rubio added that the US stands for

Context of the visit

Rubio arrived in Samarkand the day before, on October 18, to take part in the C5+1 ministerial meeting and the second session of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council. He was accompanied by representatives of more than 200 major American companies.