Washington to host summit with five Central Asia leaders

President Donald Trump was to yesterday host a summit with five central Asian countries as the US steps up competition for influence in the vast energyand mineral-rich region where China and Russia have long held sway.

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The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan pose for a photo with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in this file photo taken on Oct 9 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. AFP

(AFP)

Mr Trump was to meet with representatives of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in an event intended to mark the 10th anniversary of the so-called C5+1 format, according to the White House.

The event, which was to be held yesterday, according to Kazakhstan, was to be the first time a US president hosted a summit of the grouping at the White House, though President Joe Biden held a similar gathering in New York in 2023.

The meeting follows recent efforts by other major powers to bolster ties with the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin joined a central Asian summit in Tajikistan last month, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping travelled to Kazakhstan in June for talks with the five countries on boosting investment under his landmark Belt and Road infrastructure program.