US and Uzbekistan sign more than 50 contracts worth $12 billion — Dawn

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during talks in Samarkand that Washington seeks to strengthen its partnership with Central Asian countries and provide US companies with broader access to regional markets. The US State Department reported that the United States and Uzbekistan had signed more than 50 contracts worth a total of $12 billion in high technology, industrial modernization, transport, and energy, Dawn reports.

US business delegation

Rubio arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday ahead of a trip to India. There, he held talks with representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The US delegation included numerous business representatives — according to the secretary of state, nearly 300 US companies.

Rubio said that the United States wants to be a strong partner for Uzbekistan and neighboring countries seeking to develop trade with the United States. He also said the parties have an opportunity to conclude agreements worth billions of dollars, which, in his assessment, will bring economic benefits to the countries of the region and the United States.

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Competition with China

Answering a question about whether increased US activity in Central Asia is connected with China's growing influence, Rubio called it competition. He noted that US businesses should have a fair opportunity to compete in all regions of the world.

The leaders of the five Central Asian states, which were previously part of the USSR, met with US President Donald Trump at the White House in November last year. China is currently the main trading partner of each of these five countries.