U.S. Secretary of State is set to travel to Uzbekistan and India from October 17 to 22, Qazinform News Agency reports. In Uzbekistan, Rubio will attend the C5+1 Ministerial to underscore "how strategic cooperation through this diplomatic platform promotes a more peaceful and prosperous future for the United States and the countries of Central Asia," a statement from the U.S.
Department of State reads. He will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from all five Central Asian states - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. Rubio will lead a major U.S. commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders, marking a new chapter in economic and commercial cooperation between the United States and Central Asia.
He will then travel to India for his second official visit this year. There he will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global developments, and explore opportunities for expanded energy cooperation.
Rubio will also meet with business leaders to promote commercial investment and economic cooperation. As it was reported, on September 29, Astana hosted the C5+1 SI Conference, which brought together representatives of governments, technology companies, and the expert community from Central Asia and the United States.
The conference focused on cooperation in AI, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and technology investment.