On September 19, U.S. President Joe Biden made history as he met with the leaders of the five Central Asian states. No U.S. president had previously met with the officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and what transpired was an attempt to strengthen ties between the United States and this region. Known as the C5+1 Diplomatic Platform, the leaders of these six states met in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly this week.
“This is a historic moment. We’re building on years of close cooperation between Central Asia and the United States,” President Biden said when discussing the nature of the session. “Today, we’re taking our cooperation to new heights,” he added.
During the gathering, President Biden stated that the C5+1 is strengthening its counterterrorism cooperation, expanding its regional economic connectivity, and exploring the potential for a new critical minerals dialogue. Regarding security within the region, the United States announced it will increase security funding to Central Asia. As for economic cooperation, President Biden announced that the U.S. would establish a new business platform to complete C5+1 diplomatic engagements. (The U.S. previously provided $25 million to the region in fiscal year 2022 and $20 million in fiscal year 2023.) Finally, on the topic of minerals, the U.S. stated that it will launch the “C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue to develop Central Asia’s vast mineral wealth and advance critical minerals security.”
While the session was short, it was symbolic. The gathering suggested that the United States is finally taking Central Asia seriously, and that it is ready to invest in the region.
The U.S.-Central Asia Summit is the latest development in a growing relationship between the United States and the five Central Asian states. Established in 2015, the C5+1 Diplomatic Platform has sought to increase “U.S.-Central Asia dialogue and cooperation through engagement at the Ministerial level, through experts’ meetings, and through thematic working groups.” But after its inception, the platform was largely ignored. While numerous working groups were established, they lacked adequate funding from the government. Furthermore, U.S. cabinet-level involvement in these dialogues was essentially nonexistent.
Now, there appears to be a renewed interest in the region. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where he met with officials from the C5. During his visit, Secretary Blinken stated that the U.S. was committed to its relationship and involvement in the C5+1 Diplomatic Platform.
The United States is seeking ways to help the Central Asian states “develop the strongest possible capacities for their own security,” Secretary Blinken said. This includes “their growing economic prosperity, and the strength and resilience of their societies.”
These discussions also come at a time when Central Asia’s relationship is changing with the globe. For years, Central Asia has heavily relied on Russia. For example, the Russian Federation exports many goods and commodities to the C5 states. Leaders from Central Asia have also often frequented visits with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and three of the five Central Asian states are members of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization.
But now, many of Russia’s neighbors and allies are beginning to seek other relationships as Russia continues its failed invasion of Ukraine, To these states, they believe that Russia’s power is diminishing, and as a result, they are looking to build new partnerships.
The United States is attempting to be one of the states that will help continue the success of the Central Asian states. After all, they already have an established platform. The C5+1 has created economic, energy, environmental, and security working groups, and the U.S. has recently placed a larger emphasis on these groups. The United States is also encouraging economic integration between the five Central Asian states. This would help Central Asia become more economically independent, especially as Russia and China attempt to spread their influence throughout Asia.
Some regional experts are also taking notice. For example, Eric Green, the former senior director for Russia and Central Asia at the National Security Council, said that the Central Asian states are beginning to “reassess their political, economic, and security postures” in the region as Russia’s power is shifting. Hunter Stoll of the RAND Corporation agreed, stating that “Central Asia’s souring relations with Russia and growing skepticism of Chinese influence have created a window of opportunity for the United States to bolder its image … in the region.”
The dialogue between these parties is still fresh, and it remains to be seen how the C5+1 Diplomatic Platform will materialize. Still, the recent actions of the Biden administration suggest that Central Asia is an important region to the United States. Time will tell what will emerge from this blossoming relationship. For now, the parties involved seem satisfied with the discussions they had during the September 19 U.S.-Central Asia Summit.
Mark Temnycky is an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. He can be found on X @MTemnycky
