Marco Rubio Plans Visit to Central Asia in 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to visit Central Asian countries in the second half of 2026 and to hold a regional meeting in the C5+1 format.

He made the statement during a hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US Congress, where he also addressed the position of the administration of President Donald Trump on trade restrictions.

According to Rubio, the US executive branch supports the repeal of the so-called Jackson–Vanik amendment, which previously restricted US trade relations with several Central Asian countries. He noted that such a step, in the administration’s view, could be beneficial for developing economic cooperation.

The Secretary of State also confirmed plans to hold a C5+1 meeting, which brings together the United States and five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The mechanism has been used by Washington since 2015.