US lawmakers urge Trump to convene leaders’ summit with Central Asian countries

Congresswomen Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Congressman Bill Huizenga sent the letter to Trump on the 10th anniversary of the diplomatic forum, urging him to host a C5+1 leaders’ summit in Washington.

The C5+1 forum, established in 2015, serves as a multilateral platform for the United States to collaborate with the five Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

In their letter, the congress members stressed that the forum’s anniversary represents a rare opportunity to reinforce US–Central Asia cooperation and promote American strategic interests in security, economy, governance, and soft power.

“A Leaders’ Summit with meaningful outcomes will strengthen regional cooperation and maximize the diplomatic potential of the 10th anniversary, setting the tone for strengthened U.S. engagement in the region for the rest of your presidency,” the letter states.

The lawmakers also called on the administration to prepare concrete agreements that would solidify long-term cooperation with Central Asia.

“To ensure a successful C5+1 Leaders’ Summit, we urge your Administration to prepare Summit deliverables that enhance longstanding areas of cooperation in coordination with the Central Asian countries. Your decisive leadership and personal engagement in convening a C5+1 Leader’s Summit can elevate a key anniversary to a breakthrough moment on the global stage, charting the course for U.S. relations with Central Asia for the next decade. We hope you will take advantage of this pivotal opportunity, and we stand ready to work with you to support stronger U.S. ties with Central Asia,” concluded the lawmakers.

The C5+1 format provides a platform for dialogue and joint initiatives between the US and the five Central Asian countries. The initiative was launched following the first meeting of foreign ministers in Samarkand in November 2015 and continued with annual meetings at the foreign minister level until the most recent presidents’ meeting in September 2023.

Discussions under this framework have mainly focused on security, economic development, and environmental issues.

The last 5+1 meeting of Central Asian foreign ministers and the US was held on 28 February in Astana, where parties discussed expanding trade and economic ties both among the regional countries and with the United States.