BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 14. U.S. Secretary of
State Marco Rubio will visit Uzbekistan and India from October 17
to 22.


This was stated in a release issued by the U.S. Department of
State.


During his visit to Uzbekistan, Rubio will participate in a C5+1
foreign ministers’ meeting in Samarkand. According to the
statement, the meeting will focus on how strategic cooperation
within this framework contributes to building a more peaceful
future and ensuring prosperity for the United States and Central
Asian countries.







According to the State Department, more than 200 representatives
of major U.S. companies will also travel to Uzbekistan. Washington
expects their participation to mark an important step toward a new
phase in strengthening trade and economic ties between the United
States and Central Asia.


The C5+1 format is a mechanism for cooperation between
Washington and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan. It has been in operation since around 2015.