President Joe Biden is turning Washington’s gaze to Central Asia — a region the West has long been accused of overlooking — in an effort to strengthen ties with the landlocked region bordered by Russia and China.
On the sidelines Tuesday of the United Nations General Assembly, Biden met with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The former Soviet states have continuing security ties with Russia and growing economic and diplomatic ties to China — and great cultural and historical significance as the main arteries of the Silk Road, the ancient network of Eurasian trade routes that connected the East and West for 1,500 years.
Biden described this meeting of the C5+1 diplomatic platform — held for the first time at this level — as "a historic moment, building on years of close cooperation."
"Today, we’re taking our cooperation to new heights," Biden said, noting that efforts would include strengthened counterterrorism cooperation and increased U.S. security funding in the region, new business connections with the U.S. private sector, and "the potential for a new critical minerals dialogue."
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UN Speeches Reflect Dire Realities on the Ground
