US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 19 met with his counterparts from across Central Asia in Uzbekistan’s historic Silk Road city of Samarkand as he delivered the message that America should be the partner of choice in developing critical mineral and other vital projects across the region.

After arriving the previous night, Rubio, who was in Uzbekistan with 300 American business representatives in tow, met in the morning with the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, with talks conducted under the Central Asia 5+1 (C5+1) format. In the evening, he dined with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and also attended a US-Uzbekistan business council event.

Landlocked Central Asia is already the subject of trade and investment rivalries between Russia and China – with Beijing subtly establishing a dominance while Moscow remains distracted by its long war with Ukraine – while the European Union and South Korea are among other major players making determined efforts to seal deals with the Central Asians. But it is the US, driven in part by its need to ensure critical industries such as defence and artificial intelligence do not become dangerously reliant on raw materials that are solely under the control of China, that has made perhaps the biggest play, with President Donald Trump last November hosting Central Asia’s five presidents at the White House.

"I mean, look, it's competition," Rubio said at a press conference, as per Reuters, ​after strolling through Registan Square, a complex of three imposing, azure-tiled madrassas that date to the Timurid Empire. "We have products, we have companies, they make things, and we ​just want fair competition and an opportunity," he added.

Upon landing in Samarkand, Rubio was warmly embraced by Uzbekistan's top diplomat, Bakhtiyor Saidov. Two women dressed in elaborate gold-and-black traditional dresses then presented him with a bouquet.

October 19’s agenda included the US and Uzbekistan signing an investment package of 54 trade, investment and technology agreements that they said would amount to a potential $12bn in value when implemented. The US-Uzbek package covers areas including industrial modernisation, transport and energy infrastructure, critical minerals, financial services, digital technologies, agriculture, healthcare and education, a US State Department official told RFE/RL.

Uzbekistan also signed the Artemis Accords, a US-led multilateral agreement that establishes non-binding principles and legal guidelines for peaceful space exploration and management of resources that result from it.

The countries of Central Asia are known for their multi-vector foreign policy in which they endeavour to remain on good terms with all the major powers simultaneously.

Rubio indirectly addressed this point, when he told reporters: "Countries want to have as many relationships as possible.”

He added: “This is not about coming here to say stop talking to somebody else or stop working with some other country.”

A US official readout distributed after Rubio's meeting with Mirziyoyev said the two parties "discussed how the [C5 + 1] diplomatic platform can create a more interconnected, resilient, and prosperous Central Asia."

In additon to the "growing enhanced strategic partnership" between the US and Uzbekistan and prospects for bolstering economic ties, their talks focused on "expanding cooperation on civil nuclear energy and space exploration" and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening security cooperation in support of regional stability," it added.

Rubio during his visit expressed support for repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment, a Cold War-era US trade restriction that still applies to four of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian states, with Kyrgyzstan being the exception.

The decision on repealing the amendment was Congress’ to take, said Rubio, adding that the Trump administration supported removing its restrictions. “We are in favour of repealing it,” he said,.

“Congress just hasn't gotten around to it, but we hope that they will,” RFE/RL cited Rubio as saying.

Since 1974, the amendment has linked normal trade relations with specified nonmarket economies to emigration rights and other conditions. It was initially aimed at Soviet restrictions on Jewish emigration.

In a comment on what his visit to Uzbekistan could produce, Rubio told reporters in Samarkand: "We want to do more – this isn't the end, it's just the beginning, and we're full of optimism. Frankly, Central Asia is a region that our policymakers haven't given enough attention to over the past 20 years –far less than it deserves. But the situation is changing. That's why we're here."