PRESIDENT SEEKS STRONGER U.S. TIES WITH KAZAKHSTAN, UZBEKISTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN & TURKMENISTAN
Washington, D.C. — November 6, 2025. President Donald J. Trump hosted a private state dinner at the White House on Thursday evening for leaders of the five Central Asian nations collectively known as the C5 — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan — reaffirming U.S. engagement with the strategic region.
The gathering, held in the State Dining Room, marked the latest in a series of high-level diplomatic meetings aimed at strengthening political, economic, and security cooperation between the United States and Central Asia.
White House officials said discussions focused on trade, energy infrastructure, counterterrorism, and the stabilization of Afghanistan’s borders — issues that have defined U.S. policy toward the region since 9/11. Trump emphasized “mutual respect and opportunity,” noting that Central Asia plays a “vital role in connecting continents, markets, and cultures.”
Photographs released by the administration showed Trump standing alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmen leader Serdar Berdimuhamedow, under chandeliers adorned with American and regional flags.
During the dinner, Trump toasted to “peace through strength and partnership,” highlighting new initiatives on clean energy investment and anti-narcotics cooperation. A joint communiqué is expected later this week outlining the U.S.–C5 Partnership Framework for 2026–2030.
Analysts say the engagement underscores Washington’s push to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence across Eurasia. “Central Asia has become the front line of 21st-century diplomacy,” said a senior administration official, describing the meeting as “constructive and historic.”
The event followed last year’s C5+1 summit in New York, but Thursday’s dinner marked the first time all five leaders gathered together at the White House. Trump’s closing remarks praised their “resilience and vision,” calling the relationship “a foundation for decades to come.”
State media from the attending countries reported that leaders thanked the U.S. for its continued partnership and discussed opportunities for expanded investment and student exchange programs.
The White House said the evening concluded with a performance by the U.S. Marine Band and a private photo session in the Rose Garden.
