Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and India on November 4-11. Assistant Secretary Lu will lead a U.S. delegation to Central Asia to build on the success of the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September and the C5+1 Regional Connectivity Ministerial in October. Assistant Secretary Lu will then travel to India to prepare for and support the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

While in Astana, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Kazakh government officials and participate in the U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD). During the ESPD, the United States and Kazakhstan will discuss a range of issues of mutual concern including political and security cooperation, economic partnership, protection for human rights, and people-to-people ties. He also will engage with civil society to advance women and girls’ empowerment and media freedom.

Assistant Secretary Lu will then travel to Tashkent to lead the U.S. delegation during the U.S.-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership Dialogue (SPD). During the SPD, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Uzbekistani government officials to discuss the ways in which the United States and Uzbekistan can advance bilateral ties by expanding security partnership and discussing solutions to regional issues, strengthening people-to-people ties, and diversifying trade and investment. He will also engage with civil society groups working on human rights issues. While in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the U.S. delegation will reaffirm the United States’ steadfast commitment to Kazakhstan’s and Uzbekistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.

Assistant Secretary Lu and the U.S. delegation will then travel to India to meet with partners ahead of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, to discuss strategic coordination on regional and global issues, clean energy, and security cooperation. During the 2+2 Dialogue, Assistant Secretary Lu will support Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin in advancing a wide range of issues, including defense and security, regional developments, emerging tech, and cooperation in clean energy and space.