# Rubio arrives in Samarkand as Washington seeks closer ties with Central Asia

https://mins.news/en/item/105208

- euronews, 2026-10-18 14:45 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/18/rubio-arrives-in-samarkand-as-washington-seeks-closer-ties-with-central-asia

> US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries on Monday under the C5+1 format. Talks are expected to cover trade, investment, critical minerals and security. More than 200 US business executives are accompanying the visit.

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- [Rubio’s Uzbekistan trip highlights Central Asia’s search for diverse partners](https://mins.news/en/item/104190) — Al Jazeera, 2026-10-17