Summary: U.S. President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan in Washington on Thursday, November 6, 2025, for a C5+1 summit marking the forum’s tenth anniversary. The meeting is expected to focus on security, trade, critical minerals, and human rights, underscoring Washington’s renewed engagement with the region.
Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump will welcome the five presidents of Central Asia to the White House on Thursday for a high-stakes summit aimed at strengthening ties between the United States and the strategically important region. The gathering, known as the C5+1 format, brings together the U.S. and the five Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan — and coincides with the initiative’s tenth anniversary The Diplomat timesca.com.
Strategic Focus
According to officials, critical minerals, energy cooperation, and regional security will dominate the agenda. Central Asian governments are seeking U.S. investment and technology transfers, while Washington is expected to press for greater access to resources vital for global supply chains OilPrice.com.
The summit also comes amid heightened concerns over human rights and political repression in the region. Human Rights Watch has urged the U.S. to place rights issues at the center of discussions, citing increased crackdowns on dissent and media freedoms across Central Asia Human Rights Watch.
Diplomatic Significance
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described the summit as “timely and important,” thanking Trump for the invitation and emphasizing shared commitments to peace and security timesca.com Daryo. For Washington, the meeting represents an opportunity to deepen engagement in a region where both Russia and China have long exerted influence.
Outlook
This will be the first time all five Central Asian leaders meet with President Trump since he took office, and only the second presidential-level C5+1 summit since the format’s creation in 2015. Analysts say the outcome will be closely watched for signs of how the U.S. intends to balance its strategic, economic, and human rights priorities in Central Asia.
In short: Thursday’s summit in Washington is set to be a pivotal moment in U.S.–Central Asia relations, with discussions spanning minerals, trade, security, and rights — and marking a decade of the C5+1 diplomatic framework.
President-Trump-Picture-on-Flickr-by-Gage-Skidmore
Sources: The Diplomat The Diplomat; Times of Central Asia timesca.com; Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch; OilPrice.com OilPrice.com; Daryo.uz Daryo.
