US cannot afford to be left out of Central Asia

Arab News · 16‏/10‏/2026، 11:39:51 ص

A high-level meeting will take place this weekend between the US and the five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — under the C5+1 format. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the US delegation to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the C5+1 ministerial meeting. This diplomatic format was established in 2015 and has served as America’s main diplomatic platform for engagement in the region. This gathering, however, will place an unprecedented empha