The key facts

  • A meeting of Central Asian and US foreign ministers in the C5+1 format, launched in 2015, will take place in Samarkand
  • Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the US exceeded $1 billion in 2025; 346 enterprises with American capital operate in the country
  • At the Washington summit in November 2025, commercial agreements between American companies and the region worth more than $25 billion were announced

Meeting in Samarkand

According to the Dunyo agency, talks between Rubio and Uzbekistan's leadership, as well as his counterparts from Central Asian countries, are planned during the visit to Samarkand. The meetings are expected to focus on expanding economic cooperation, developing transport and energy ties, and strengthening regional connectivity. For Uzbekistan, key areas named include attracting American investment and technology to industry, energy, infrastructure, agriculture and the digital economy.

Economic Indicators

Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the US exceeded $1 billion in 2025. Uzbekistan is home to 346 enterprises with American capital, of which 143 are wholly owned by American investors. Since 2017, 203 enterprises have been created with the participation of American investment. Companies operating in the Uzbek market include Air Products, General Electric, General Motors, Boeing, Honeywell, Coca-Cola and John Deere. In June 2026, as part of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, an American-Uzbek business forum was held, attended by representatives of 193 American companies; investment projects and the expansion of business ties were discussed.

Critical Minerals

One of the separate areas of cooperation is critical minerals. In February 2026, Uzbekistan and the US signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ensuring the sustainability of supplies of critical minerals and rare earth elements. It is expected to serve as a basis for joint initiatives in geological exploration, mining and processing.

The C5+1 Format and Announced Deals

The C5+1 format was launched in November 2015 in Samarkand and brings together the US with five Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The first summit of leaders within the format took place in 2023 in New York, and the second in November 2025 in Washington. During the Washington events, American companies announced commercial agreements with countries of the region worth more than $25 billion. According to reports citing the US Department of Commerce, the total volume of commercial agreements between American entrepreneurs and Central Asian countries exceeds $100 billion. It is emphasized that these figures reflect the volume of announced agreements, not realized investments.