Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with foreign ministers and representatives from the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan under the C5+1 platform during the 79th annual session of the UN General Assembly.
Reflecting on commitments made by U.S. and Central Asian leaders during the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit on September 19, 2023, Secretary Blinken acknowledged significant steps taken since that occasion in furtherance of the Summit’s New York Declaration. These include launching the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue, hosting the inaugural B5+1 Forum to support U.S.-Central Asian business partnerships, and holding the first C5+1 Special Session on Disability Rights at the UN Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Participants discussed steps toward enhanced regional security cooperation in pursuit of a shared vision for a peaceful Central Asia. The Secretary underscored "the importance of upholding the United Nations Charter and its principles," including human rights and respect for "the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all states."
Secretary Blinken noted that 2025 will mark ten years of enduring U.S.-Central Asian collaboration through the C5+1 platform. He emphasized U.S. commitment to pursuing regional solutions to global challenges in partnership with these Central Asian nations.
