The United States and Central Asian countries discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in business, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and digitalization. This was reported by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the U.S. following a meeting between ambassadors of Central Asian countries with U.S. The meeting reaffirmed the importance of continued dialogue and practical cooperation between the U.S. and Central Asian countries. A C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue was held in Astana in June 2026 with participation from government representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, focusing on geological exploration, mining, processing and supplies of critical minerals to global markets. The C5+1 format has also continued through sector-specific meetings, including a June 2026 meeting of Central Asian and U.S. culture ministers in Tashkent.