C5+1 foreign ministers are meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, today.  Kazakh media reports say U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will attend a C5+1 Ministerial meeting with representatives of each of the five Central Asian nations. 

The Astana times says US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will participate in a C5+1 Ministerial with representatives of the five Central Asian states to “reaffirm the US commitment to the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries and to collaborate with the region on solutions to shared global challenges.”

The meeting will focus on enhancing economic, energy, environmental, and security cooperation among the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

During the event, Blinken will meet with senior government officials from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation opportunities and advance the shared goal of a prosperous, secure, and democratic region. 

After concluding his visit to Kazakhstan, the U.S. Secretary of State will visit Uzbekistan, where he will meet with Uzbek officials to further advance partnership on a range of bilateral and regional issues.

The first C5+1 ministerial meeting took place in Samarqand (Uzbekistan) in November 2015.  The six foreign ministers agreed to focus on three sectors of common interest – security, economics, and environmental challenges.

Since the inception of the C5+1 dialogue, the Central Asian countries have reportedly been increasingly interested in regional approaches and view the C5+1 as a catalyst for common action.

In 2022, the C5+1 launched a Secretariat to facilitate the processes for identifying and advancing shared priorities, coordinating communications between participating governments, and planning high-level ministerials and other engagements.

Meanwhile, Tajik Foreign Ministry’s information department says Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin yesterday met in Astana with Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Deputy Primeminister also Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, to discuss cooperation.  

The two reportedly discussed issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

Muhriddin and Tleuberdi also exchanged views on cooperation between the two countries within international and regional organizations and agreed on a number of issues on the preparation of high-level meetings scheduled for this year.