Key facts
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India and Uzbekistan from October 17-22.
- The visit to India will focus on energy cooperation.
- Rubio will lead a delegation of over 100 American companies to Uzbekistan.
- The Uzbekistan visit includes C5+1 talks focused on regional economic connectivity and energy security.
- A memorandum on critical minerals and rare earths was signed between the US and Uzbekistan in February.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit India and Uzbekistan between October 17 and October 22. The State Department announced that during his visit to India, Rubio will discuss opportunities for increased energy cooperation.
In Uzbekistan, Rubio will lead a significant business delegation comprising executives from over 100 American companies. This delegation will participate in C5+1 talks in Samarkand, focusing on enhancing regional economic connectivity and energy security, alongside other shared regional priorities. The C5+1 format involves the United States and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Previous engagements within the C5+1 framework have yielded substantial commercial outcomes. A summit in November 2025, hosted by President Donald Trump, resulted in over $25 billion in announced commercial deals. These included significant aircraft orders from Air Astana, Somon Air, and Uzbekistan Airways with Boeing. In the mining sector, Cove Capital and Kazakhstan’s Tau-Ken Samruk agreed to develop tungsten deposits with an estimated $1.1 billion investment. Additionally, a memorandum on critical minerals and rare earths was signed between the US and Uzbekistan in February, with Uzbekistan seeking foreign technology and investment for its industry.