US, Central Asia C5+1 talks in Samarkand focus on Trans-Caspian trade, critical minerals

US Secretary of State Rubio and five Central Asian states agreed to deepen transport and industrial cooperation at a C5+1 meeting in Samarkand, with emphasis on Trans-Caspian trade routes and critical minerals. Uzbekistan signed the Artemis Accords, signaling expanded space cooperation. The meeting signals US efforts to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the region, though concrete outcomes remain to be seen.