US and Central Asian countries support development of Middle Corridor — Euronews
In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on October 19, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan agreed to deepen cooperation in transport, critical minerals and security. Euronews reports.
Investment in the Trans-Caspian route
In a joint statement following the C5+1 ministerial meeting, the parties supported investment in the Trans-Caspian Trade Route, deeper industrial cooperation and simplified customs procedures. This route, also known as the Middle Corridor, connects Central Asian countries with European markets via the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Turkey, bypassing Russia.
The identified priorities also included critical minerals processing, cooperation in energy and cybersecurity. At the same time, the joint statement did not provide information on the amount of new funding for infrastructure projects.
Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov proposed developing cooperation from geological exploration to raw material processing and the creation of local industrial clusters. He also called for strengthening ties between the C5+1 diplomatic format and the B5+1 business platform.
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Bilateral talks
Rubio held separate meetings with the heads of foreign affairs agencies of all five countries in the region. With Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi, he discussed trade, energy, critical minerals and technology. The US State Department also reported that the parties raised the issue of Kazakhstan’s intention to join the Abraham Accords.
Talks with representatives of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan covered, among other things, bilateral cooperation, trade, investment and regional security. The United States and Turkmenistan are preparing a new round of political consultations in Ashgabat in November.
Uzbekistan and the United States held the first meeting of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue, focused on trade, energy, technology and security. After the meeting, Saidov signed the Artemis Accords in Rubio’s presence, and Uzbekistan became the 77th country to join the international framework for the peaceful exploration of space.
