Executive Summary:
- The upgraded C5+1 summit in Washington, D.C., marked a significant elevation of U.S. engagement with Central Asia, focusing on economic partnerships, business deals, and commitments to deepen diplomatic ties.
- The United States has established significant mining and rare earth agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These developments are expected to intensify competition with Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
- While the summit emphasized vital economic diversification for Central Asian countries, the region continues to maintain strong geopolitical connections with neighboring powers, as shown by Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent visit to Russia.
The C5+1 summit, held on November 6 in Washington, D.C., marked a significant elevation of Central Asia’s profile on the world stage. Leaders from the region received enthusiastic receptions in the U.S. capital, where the summit—initiated by former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a decade earlier—was upgraded to a presidential-level meeting at the White House.
Central Asian presidents and top officials became the focus of considerable U.S. attention as they participated in multiple high-level meetings. For example, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the Central Asian foreign ministers and underscored the importance the United States assigns to its relationship with the region. The summit also featured a dedicated Department of State session, where Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick led a “Deal Zone” and announced nearly twenty agreements between Central Asian countries and U.S. businesses (Times of Central Asia, November 8). The summit culminated in a business dinner at the White House, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance (White House, November 6).
This renewed U.S. focus on Central Asia has been reinforced by active diplomatic outreach. U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau traveled to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan ahead of the summit and quickly established close ties with the leaders of both countries (U.S. Department of State, October 24).
The summit’s achievements went beyond business deals. Additional commitments included Rubio’s pledge to visit all five Central Asian countries in 2026 and consideration of repealing the “outdated Soviet-era Jackson–Vanik trade restrictions” (The Diplomat, November 7). Rubio emphasized that, after decades of limited engagement, the United States now recognizes a significant alignment of “national interests” with Central Asia and intends to treat the region as a strategic priority (YouTube/@StateDept, November 6).
Several factors explain Central Asia’s renewed prominence in U.S. foreign policy. The region has taken on a more visible importance in the global supply chain as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. Natural resources, especially critical minerals, are paramount in this shift. With the People’s Republic of China (PRC) imposing restrictions on rare-earth exports and maintaining a dominant role in mineral processing, Central Asia is an alternative source for both raw materials and its stabilizing role in the supply chаin (Carnegie Politika, February 4; see China Brief, October 17; Heartland.asia, October 7).
A highlight of these efforts is the deal between the U.S.-based Cove Capital and the Kazakh government mining company Tau-Ken Samruk to launch a $1.1 billion tungsten (wolfram) mining and processing plant, with the Export-Import Bank of the United States considering $900 million in financing (Caspian Post, November 7). Cove Kaz Capital Group will hold a 70 percent stake in this project, securing a tighter U.S. focus on cooperation with Kazakhstan in the economic and natural resource sectors.
In Uzbekistan, prospective deals were outlined with Denali Exploration Group and ReElement Technologies for rare earths projects (President of Uzbekistan, November 6). The United States obtained rights of first refusal on co-developed mineral deposits and will collaborate on mapping critical minerals. Up to $400 million is promised for strengthening supply chains between the two countries.
These deals mark the first significant U.S. investment in Central Asia’s non-energy mining sector, an area historically controlled by the PRC and Russia. They could intensify competition between major powers in the region.
The summit’s agreements open doors for Central Asian countries to diversify beyond energy into opportunities critical for their economic viability. These include transportation and trade infrastructure development beyond pipelines, and with a notable emphasis on air transportation—three Central Asian countries have committed to purchasing more U.S.-made aircraft (IntelliNews, November 7). There is also greater emphasis on economic diversification, supported by U.S. equipment and technology transfer through investments in U.S. companies, as well as advancements in information technology, including artificial intelligence. The United States offers Central Asian states a path to upgrading their economies, moving beyond their traditional roles as a labor supplier to Russia or a raw materials exporter to the PRC.
In Central Asia, the summit received mixed assessments. Some analysts view it as another example of the increasingly complex multi-vector foreign policy pursued by the region (24.kg, November 10). The United States is seen as primarily a distant partner that views Central Asia solely as a source of natural resources (Asia-Plus, November 5; UlysMedia.kz, November 11). Some analysts have also observed that the summit disproportionately emphasized Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with discussions and deals essentially taking place on a bilateral basis (Sputnik.kg, November 10). The lack of a major regional agreement lessens the overall impact and potentially misses an opportunity to unite broader Central Asian interests.
As demonstrated by Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s subsequent visit to Russia, the region continues to rely on close ties with its immediate neighbors for its geopolitical interests. Tokayev, who has also positioned himself as a potential intermediary between the West and Russia, signed a new strategic partnership agreement while in Moscow (Akorda, November 12). Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin demonstrated an unexpected mild respect for Kazakh national traditions, even attempting to say a few words in Kazakh (Instagram/@Vesti24, November 13).
The Central Asian presidents convened in Tashkent on November 16. They signed additional agreements aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and accepting Azerbaijan as an official member of the Central Asian Consultative Meetings (Euronews, November 17). For Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a tireless advocate of Central Asian cooperation, this represents a historically new stage of regional development where Central Asia launches “a real community.” (President of Uzbekistan, November 16). The inclusion of Azerbaijan in these discussions further underscores the growing momentum for Central Asia as it seeks to expand its economic development space.
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