US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lands in Samarkand for C5+1 talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Uzbekistan on Sunday for his inaugural visit to Central Asia, launching a diplomatic and commercial mission alongside a delegation of more than 200 American business representatives.

Before landing in Samarkand on October 18, Rubio announced his departure on the social media platform X, writing:

«Just departed for Uzbekistan and India to continue securing the Trump Administration’s economic opportunities for our nation.»

Just departed for Uzbekistan and India to continue securing the Trump Administration’s economic opportunities for our nation. https://t.co/8TCZV0eK4i

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 18, 2026

Read more: US envoy Sergio Gor visits Uzbek market and historic Bukhara with officials

Upon arriving with his wife, Jeanette Rubio, the secretary of state was greeted at Samarkand International Airport by a welcoming committee that included Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor and Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration.

Mirziyoyeva noted the diplomatic milestone on Telegram:

«I am delighted to welcome US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to historic Samarkand. This is his first visit to Central Asia,» she wrote.

The primary objective of the trip is a ministerial meeting in the C5+1 format, uniting Washington with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and host nation Uzbekistan. Those negotiations will address regional security, trade and foreign investment.

Expanding commercial and strategic partnerships

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is scheduled to join Rubio and the extensive US corporate delegation on October 19 for a session of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council.

Preparations for this commercial push were finalised during Mirziyoyev’s meeting with Gor in Tashkent two days earlier, where both governments agreed to accelerate joint economic projects.

Read more: U.S. administration backs repeal of Jackson-Vanik Amendment for Central Asia

Gor held preliminary talks with major American firms on the ground, including industrial gas developer Air Products, satellite internet provider Starlink and metals trading firm Traxys. Those talks covered agriculture, energy connectivity and critical minerals.

«Great to see American companies joining Secretary Rubio’s historic commercial mission to Uzbekistan!» Gor wrote on X.

Great to see American companies joining Secretary Rubio’s historic commercial mission to Uzbekistan! This morning I met with Traxys, Starlink, Air Products, and many others for productive discussions on critical minerals, energy connectivity, and agriculture as we continue to strengthen the U.S.-Uzbekistan partnership.

— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) October 18, 2026

The diplomatic programme also includes a round of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue between Rubio and his Uzbek counterpart. Saidov outlined his expectations for the bilateral meetings in a Telegram post.

«We are confident that our discussions tomorrow will provide a valuable opportunity to enrich the Uzbekistan-US strategic partnership with new practical initiatives and jointly identify priority areas for cooperation between Central Asia and the United States,» he wrote.

Following his engagements in Samarkand, Rubio will travel to India to hold further economic cooperation discussions before concluding his international trip on October 22.