Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of State Kerry will host the foreign ministers from the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan on August 3, 2016, at the Department of State, for the second ministerial meeting of the C5+1 diplomatic platform.

All six Foreign Ministers will deliver opening remarks in the Benjamin Franklin Room at 9:35 a.m.

The group will then discuss regional security, economic connectivity, environment and climate change, and humanitarian issues. Secretary Kerry and the ministers will also discuss five proposed projects developed by C5+1 working groups following the first ministerial in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in November 2015.

Following the ministerial meeting, Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host a lunch with the five ministers and leaders from prominent U.S. think tanks to share ideas about Central Asia’s development in the 21st century. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will then host a business forum with the Central Asian ministers and senior executives from major U.S. companies to discuss the opportunities and challenges of a connected and prosperous Central Asia. The Chamber will also host a cultural reception to celebrate the Central Asian states’ 25th anniversaries of independence, the region’s unique cultural heritage, and partnerships between the Central Asian states and U.S. government, business, academic and cultural institutions.

This will be the second time this group has met in the C5+1 platform to commit to a joint approach to addressing regional issues of shared interest. The United States looks forward to continuing the C5+1 format to broaden and deepen its relationship with the Central Asian states.