BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 6. The United States is entering what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called “a new era” of partnership with Central Asian nations, as he hosted leaders from the region at the C5+1 Welcome Reception in Washington ahead of the high-level summit, Trend reports.
Rubio underscored that Washington’s engagement with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan is grounded in shared national interests and long-term development goals.
“President Trump has made very clear that he wants American foreign policy to be rooted in the national interest of the United States. When the national interests of two countries are aligned, that’s when foreign policy works best,” Rubio said.
According to the secretary, both sides come together on common priorities in boosting economic growth and shaking up diversification.
“From our perspective, we are looking for opportunities for American innovation and American business and American products to expand to more markets and more places, because we think that creates stronger ties between countries,” he said.
Rubio emphasized that Central Asian nations are seeking to leverage their human and natural resources to build more diversified and sustainable economies.
“You don’t just want to be a source of energy or a source of minerals; you want to use that responsibly to build out other sectors of your economies so that you provide long-term opportunities for your people and further develop,” he noted.
Rubio said that the alignment of interests between the U.S. and the five Central Asian countries opens the door for expanded partnerships in trade, investment, and innovation.
“Our national interests are aligned, and I think tonight’s reception, tomorrow’s meeting, and some of the things we’re going to do together in the months and weeks to come are going to further strengthen that,” he said.
He described the gathering as an important milestone, marking the first high-level C5+1 meeting in more than a decade.
“It’s been about 10 years since there was a gathering of this kind, so it’s an exciting opportunity and a new era in our relationship with Central Asia,” Rubio said.
The secretary concluded by reaffirming Washington’s commitment to deeper cooperation through diplomacy, economic engagement, and people-to-people ties.
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