Central Asia + US: What to Expect from the Anniversary Summit with Trump
Ashgabat, November 4 | ORIENT. On the invitation of President Donald Trump, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov departed for a working visit to the United States to participate in the "Central Asia + US" summit.
The first summit at the heads of state level took place on September 19, 2023, in New York. It was attended by US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This was the first meeting of this level within the Central Asia-USA format.
The upcoming summit on November 6, 2025, in Washington will be the second at the highest level. It is timed to the 10th anniversary of the Central Asia-USA format and will be held with the participation of US President Donald Trump.
The "Central Asia-USA" cooperation format was launched in 2015. Since then, regular ministerial meetings and working group sessions have been held in various areas.
The first summit at the level of foreign ministers was held on September 26, 2015, in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The meeting was attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian states. Following the meeting, a Joint Declaration on Partnership and Cooperation was adopted, laying the foundation for further cooperation.
In 2022, a Secretariat was established to coordinate the activities of the Central Asian-US summit.
The main topics of discussion concerned security, the economy, energy, transport, minimizing the negative impacts of climate change, and other issues.
Security: combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan. The American side emphasized the importance of cooperation in these areas and offered support in strengthening borders and law enforcement.
Economy and Investment: developing trade corridors, attracting American investment in key sectors (mining, energy, agriculture). In 2023, the B5+1 business platform was launched for direct business dialogue.
Energy and Transport: discussion of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (also known as the Middle Corridor), which connects China with Europe via Central Asia. Emphasis on infrastructure modernization and the development of green energy.
Climate and environment: cooperation in the field of adaptation to climate change, water resources management, and development of renewable energy sources.
Critical Minerals: In 2023–2025, the United States actively promotes access to rare earth metals, uranium, lithium, and other strategic resources found in Central Asian countries. This has become a key agenda item in 2025.
Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues: At the 2023 summit, President Biden called for greater attention to the rights of persons with disabilities and women, as well as support for civil society.
What to expect from the upcoming meeting?
The Central Asia-US summits reflect America's growing interest in Central Asia, especially in the context of geopolitical competition with its opponents on the global stage.
For countries in the region, such meetings offer an opportunity to attract investment, strengthen multi-vector diplomacy by maintaining a middle course in foreign policy, and enhance their status as a united region on the international stage.
The success of the upcoming summit, as well as the entire 10-year cycle of interaction in the Central Asia-US format, will depend on the ability of the parties to translate declarations into concrete projects while avoiding excessive geopolitical polarization.
The balance of interests established by the meeting will determine how the anniversary Central Asia-US summit will go down in history.
Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV,
Center for Strategic Studies, Institute of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
