U.S. Targets Central Asia's Energy and Critical Minerals in Major Trade Push
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet the foreign ministers of the Central Asian republics - Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 19 October 2026. Rubio will be accompanied by a delegation of more than 100 U.S. companies. Washington has framed the agenda around economic connectivity, energy security, and shared regional…
The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with foreign ministers from Central Asian republics, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, in Samarkand on October 19, 2026. The agenda focuses on economic connectivity, energy security, and shared regional priorities, with the aim of converting earlier political commitments into financed projects.
The meeting comes at a time when the region is navigating a complex balancing act between the U.S., Russia, and China. Central Asia holds significant deposits of critical minerals such as tungsten, uranium, rare earths, and copper, which present opportunities for value-added production within the region. The meeting will also address connectivity and trade corridors, energy security, and water and climate resilience, with a focus on identifying concrete projects, improving infrastructure, and ensuring reliable power supply.
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