Turan Research Center

This month, the United States signaled a renewed push into Central Asia through the largest American business delegation ever deployed to the region. Sergio Gor, the newly confirmed US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, led the delegation on missions to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, underscoring Washington’s ambitions to compete economically with entrenched Russian and Chinese influence.

In Bishkek, Gor’s talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev combined traditional diplomacy with a strong commercial thrust. The centerpiece was the B5+1 Business Forum, where more than 50 US companies engaged local counterparts on themes ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and fintech to critical minerals and healthcare. For many Central Asian partners—long dependent on remittances, gold exports, and Russia-linked trade—this offered an alternative narrative: economic partnership beyond traditional patrons. 

Strategically, Washington’s emphasis on critical minerals and supply chains reflects broader shifts in global competition. Central Asia sits atop significant deposits of uranium and other inputs essential for high-tech industries and energy security. Through initiatives such as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), the United States aims to create transit corridors linking Central Asia with Europe while reducing reliance on Chinese-backed infrastructure. These initiatives sit alongside expanded dialogues on technology and transport that, on paper, position the United States as a viable competitor to the Belt and Road network.

Read the full article on The National Interest.
Aigerim Turgunbaeva is a Research Fellow at the Turan Research Center.