Rubio plans to visit five Central Asian states in 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he planned to visit five Central Asian countries in the coming year, Reuters reported.

The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday for talks that are likely to include discussions of rare earths minerals and other resources in the Central Asian nations, Reuters reported.

Rubio told a reception at the State Department with foreign ministers of the countries that U.S. interests and those of the Central Asian states were aligned when it comes to working together to develop the countries' natural resources.

"You are looking to take the resources ... that God has blessed your nations with, and turn them into responsible development that allow you to diversify your economies," Rubio said.

“I personally intend to visit in the coming year," he added.

"All five (countries)," he said, "so I know it would probably be a week-long trip. So we’ve got to work on that and make that happen together.”