The key facts

  • Marco Rubio and Saida Mirziyoyeva visited Registan Square in Samarkand
  • Rubio noted Uzbekistan's GDP growth of almost 8% per year and the growth in the number of tourists
  • The first visit of the US Secretary of State to Uzbekistan began in Samarkand, which was called symbolic

Visit to Registan Square

Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva, together with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visited the famous Registan Square in Samarkand. The head of the Presidential Administration announced this on her Telegram channel.

Statements by Marco Rubio

Speaking to journalists, the US Secretary of State emphasized that Samarkand has been an important center of international trade relations for many centuries, and today new opportunities for cooperation between Uzbekistan and the USA are opening up on this land. “This is a beautiful country. It is incredible how much has been achieved over the last decade in terms of economic growth and prosperity. And we simply want to identify opportunities for working together, and we are here to do that,” said Marco Rubio. He also noted the country's high rates of economic development, its potential and the growing interest of foreign tourists: “It is an incredible combination of economic development, GDP growth rates — almost 8% per year. We want to encourage this and try to continue. So I think you have a huge opportunity. If you have another decade like the last one, I think this will be an incredible place. And I was amazed by the number of tourists who come. I am surprised that the numbers are so high.”

Symbolic significance of the visit

Saida Mirziyoyeva noted that the first visit of the US Secretary of State to Uzbekistan, which began precisely in Samarkand, has special symbolic significance.