Rubio outlines US plans to expand trade, energy cooperation with Central Asia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The US plans to expand trade and investment with Central Asian countries, strengthen energy cooperation, and develop critical mineral supply chains, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, he said Washington also intends to develop integrated supply chains for critical minerals as well as train thousands of young professionals to use and support advanced US technologies in Central Asia's growing technology sector.

"We're going to enhance the infrastructure of the Trans-Caspian trade route and give our partners more ways to reach American and Central Asian markets," he said.

Rubio described Central Asia as a historic crossroads of trade between Europe and Asia, saying the region is once again positioned to play an important role in international commerce.

The US seeks to secure its critical industries and supply chains to reduce dependence on potentially unreliable foreign partners, Rubio said, adding that Washington wants Central Asian countries to prosper as independent states and is prepared to cooperate with them toward that goal.

- 'Not competing with China or Russia'

Monday’s meeting, in a format called C5+1, brings together the US and five Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Rubio said last year's C5+1 summit at the White House generated $25 billion in new deals covering transportation, energy, and finance.

The current meetings are intended to build on those commitments and further expand economic cooperation, he said.

"We're looking forward to the outcomes of this week's meetings, and all the peaceful prosperity and growth that will come from our nations working together going forward," he said,

Rubio added that the US is not seeking to force Uzbekistan to choose between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing, stressing that American companies want fair competition and greater access to markets.

"We're not competing with China or Russia for influence in Uzbekistan," he stressed, adding that Washington is interested in expanding cooperation without telling countries who they should do business with.

Nearly 300 American business representatives traveled to Uzbekistan with Rubio, he said. The secretary of state was also scheduled to attend the second meeting of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council.

Rubio said Washington would work next year to determine possible dates for a visit to Uzbekistan by US President Donald Trump. Trump had previously expressed interest in visiting the country, Rubio said.

The secretary of state also confirmed his interest in visiting Kazakhstan soon after a G20 summit in Doral, Florida, scheduled for Dec. 14-15, according to Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry.

Rubio discussed the prospective visit during a meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi in Samarkand, the ministry said in a statement.

The visit to Samarkand comes as Washington seeks to deepen economic and diplomatic ties with resource-rich Central Asia, with trade, investment, energy and critical minerals among the main areas of cooperation.