US Secretary of State to Visit All Five Central Asian Nations in 2026

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to visit Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan next year, confirming the trip at a State Department reception attended by the foreign ministers of the region.

Rubio said the visit will last a week or more, highlighting growing US interest in expanding trade and investment across Central Asia, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

He noted that over the past decade, Washington had not given sufficient attention to the region, but under President Donald Trump’s administration, the US is committed to closer bilateral and regional cooperation.

The announcement comes ahead of the C5+1 summit on November 6 in Washington, where President Trump is scheduled to meet with the leaders of the five Central Asian nations. Rubio explained that investment and trade discussions during the summit will help create jobs in the US while strengthening the regional economy.

“US and Central Asian interests align in the development of natural resources,” Rubio said, underscoring Washington’s plan to increase engagement with regions long on the periphery of US foreign policy.