During the podcast, Gorin noted that a jubilee summit of the C5+1 format recently took place in Washington, where all the presidents of Central Asia gathered for the first time. Umarov emphasized that this event was a real breakthrough, as the region's leaders previously did not have the opportunity for direct meetings with the American president.
According to Umarov, although the meeting appeared symbolic, it was short and focused on business matters. "Investments became the key topic, while other issues were only discussed in passing," he added.
The expert also noted that the U.S. administration is trying to position itself as an active player in the region, emphasizing the importance of its relations with Central Asia. However, the actual presence of the U.S. remains quite low. "From a practical point of view, this is not such close cooperation, but rather a rhetorical game," Umarov said.
Pointing out the preparation of the participants, the expert noted that the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, made attempts to speak in English to establish contact with Donald Trump, while the other leaders relied on translators, which limited the quality of communication. "The presidents looked like students being evaluated by a strict teacher. The time for speaking was limited, and each word turned into several sentences through translation," he noted.
The economic aspect of the meeting was important for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which offered American companies projects in the extraction and processing of rare earth metals and signed memoranda with Boeing. "For other countries in the region, interest was minimal; they could not offer anything that could attract the attention of the U.S.," Umarov added.
The expert also emphasized that it is extremely important for Central Asian countries to demonstrate the existence of alternative relations: "This demonstration of ties with the U.S. is needed to reduce pressure from Russia and China and to strengthen the legitimacy of local leaders."
Umarov also noted that despite the potential, Europe is cautious and acts slowly. Real investments and large projects have not yet been realized. Thus, although U.S. interest is limited, they still play an important role, creating the impression of the significance of negotiations for Central Asia.
In conclusion, Umarov noted that the summit emphasized political dynamics and opportunities for symbolic play rather than representing real achievements. "This is the minimum necessary to demonstrate the existence of alternatives and that your voice is heard. There is not much practical benefit, but visually it looks impressive," he concluded.
