The presidential office of Kazakhstan announced that the C5+1 Summit, a consultative body comprising the United States and five Central Asian countries, will be held on November 6 in Washington, D.C., presided over by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, is gesturing as he boards Air Force One at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on the 27th (local time) to depart for Japan. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
According to the Kyrgyz media outlet Times of Central Asia (TCA) on the 27th, the Kazakh presidential office stated that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had sent a letter of appreciation to President Trump, who had extended an invitation to the C5+1 Summit.
The C5+1 was launched in 2015 and consists of the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
TCA reported that this C5+1 Summit is expected to help the United States counter the growing influence of Russia and China in Central Asia.
Previously, members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to President Trump on the 20th, urging him to hold a summit with Central Asian leaders within this year.
The letter called for discussions on the development of key minerals in Central Asia, such as lithium and rare earth elements, as well as the complete repeal of the U.S. Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which imposes trade restrictions on some Central Asian countries.
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