U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries adopted a joint C5+1 declaration in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, pledging to expand cooperation on trade, critical minerals, energy and the Trans-Caspian Corridor, Reuters reported on Oct. 19. Rubio also held bilateral talks with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Uzbek officials announced $12 billion in agreements reached during a parallel business forum.