Trump wants to visit Uzbekistan, says friend
US Special Envoy for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampolli said during a visit to Tashkent that Donald Trump wants to visit Uzbekistan, though no date has been set. The statement comes ahead of a mid-October visit to Uzbekistan by a large US trade delegation, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning to attend a C5+1 meeting of Central Asian foreign ministers in Samarkand. Zampolli said Trump and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have developed a friendly and trusting relationship and speak regularly by telephone.
Why it matters: The stated intention to visit, alongside the planned C5+1 ministerial and trade delegation, points to continued US efforts to widen access to Central Asia's critical minerals and expand trade ties in the region.