Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Central Asia on Tuesday to meet leaders from all 5 former Soviet republics following the 1st anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken’s visit to the capitals of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is his first to the region as the Jo Biden administration’s top diplomat.
The visit comes just days after the 24 February anniversary of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has tested Russia’s influence in a region that also includes Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
Leaders in the area have been emboldened to stand up to Russia by their new leverage as Moscow needs their markets and trade routes in an effort to circumvent Western sanctions.
US Secretary to meet foreign ministers
Blinken would meet the foreign ministers of all 5 Central Asian states in Astana on Tuesday before going on to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
US officials say the Biden administration has increased engagement with the region in a bid to demonstrate the benefits of United States cooperation to countries facing severe economic effects from the conflict to the west.
In Astana, Blinken met Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was re-elected in a landslide victory in November and has pushed back publicly against territorial claims made by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.
