Rubio woos Central Asia in Samarkand amid Ukraine strain

Rubio met five Central Asian foreign ministers in Samarkand on October 19, pushing US soft power and rare-earth deals in a region courted by Russia, China and Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met foreign ministers of five Central Asian nations in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on October 19, pitching expanded American engagement in the resource-rich region. The meeting, part of a two-day visit, brought more than 200 US business leaders to court investment in rare earth minerals and other opportunities.

Washington has framed resource-rich Central Asia, wedged between Russia, Iran and China, as a major geopolitical battleground deserving greater attention. Uzbekistan signed the US-led Artemis Accords on space cooperation during the visit, and Kazakhstan recently joined the Abraham Accords.

Rubio acknowledged that the five post-Soviet states balance ties with Washington, Moscow and Beijing, saying countries want 'as many relationships as possible'. The trip comes amid strained US-Ukraine ties and an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis.