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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday 5th November that he planned to visit the five Central Asian countries in the coming year, as he met their foreign ministers as part of a Trump administration charm offensive aimed at the resource-rich region. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on 6th November for talks that are likely to include discussions of rare earths minerals and other resources in the Central Asian nations.

According to Reuters, Mr Rubio told a reception at the State Department that US interests and those of the Central Asian states were aligned when it comes to working together to develop the countries’ natural resources. “You are looking to take the resources … that God has blessed your nations with, and turn them into responsible development that allow you to diversify your economies,” Mr Rubio said.

“I personally intend to visit in the coming year,” he added. “All five (countries),” he said, “so I know it would probably be a week-long trip. So we’ve got to work on that and make that happen together.”

Rich in minerals and energy, the five overwhelmingly Muslim countries of Central Asia remain closely tied economically to Russia, which ruled the region as part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Neighbouring China also enjoys significant commercial influence.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who spoke before Mr Rubio, said Mr Trump had invited the five leaders to Washington as part of a personal push by the president to engage more actively with the region.

Mr Landau and Mr Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India and Mr Trump’s special envoy to Central Asia, visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan last week to prepare agreements to be announced during the leaders’ visit, Reuters reported. “The opportunities are amazing – business opportunities. Many ways to partner there,” Mr Landau said.

Senator James Risch, a Republican, who also spoke at the reception, announced he would introduce a bill to Congress this week aimed at repealing the Jackson–Vanik trade rules introduced during the Cold War era that restrict US trade with non-market economies.

The meeting in Washington between President Trump and the five Central Asian republics known as the C5 marks the tenth anniversary of the C5+1 format. Established in 2015, the C5+1 is the main platform through which the United States engages collectively with the five countries of Central Asia.