Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with the C5+1 during UNGA 79

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with foreign ministers and representatives from the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan today under the auspices of the C5+1 platform during the 79th annual session of the UN General Assembly.

Reflecting on the commitments made by U.S. and Central Asian leaders during the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit on September 19, 2023, the Secretary acknowledged significant steps taken since that landmark occasion in furtherance of the Summit's New York Declaration, including the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue launch, the inaugural B5+1 Forum in support of U.S.-Central Asian business partnership, and the first C5+1 Special Session on Disability Rights on the margins of the UN Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the United Nations.

Participants discussed steps toward enhanced regional security cooperation in pursuance of a shared vision for a peaceful Central Asia. The Secretary underscored the importance of upholding the United Nations Charter and its principles, including with respect to human rights, and C5+1 partnership that is grounded in respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all states.

Secretary Blinken noted that the year 2025 will mark ten years of enduring U.S.-Central Asian collaboration through the C5+1 platform. In the spirit of cooperation that has come to define the C5+1, the Secretary emphasized U.S. commitment to pursuing regional solutions to global challenges in partnership with the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan.