U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he planned to visit the five Central Asian countries in the coming year, as he met their foreign ministers as part of a Trump administration charm offensive aimed at the resource-rich region.

The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday for talks that are likely to include discussions of rare earths minerals and other resources in the Central Asian nations, Reuters reported.

Rubio told a reception at the State Department that U.S. interests and those of the Central Asian states were aligned when it comes to working together to develop the countries’ natural resources.

“You are looking to take the resources … that God has blessed your nations with, and turn them into responsible development that allow you to diversify your economies,” Rubio said.

“I personally intend to visit in the coming year,” he added.

“All five (countries),” he said, “so I know it would probably be a week-long trip. So we’ve got to work on that and make that happen together.”

Rich in minerals and energy, the five overwhelmingly Muslim countries of Central Asia remain closely tied economically to Russia, which ruled the region as part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Neighboring China also enjoys significant commercial influence.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who spoke before Rubio, said Trump had invited the five leaders to Washington as part of a personal push by the president to engage more actively with the region.

Landau and Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador to India and Trump’s special envoy to Central Asia, visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan last week to prepare agreements to be announced during the leaders’ visit.

“The opportunities are amazing – business opportunities. Many ways to partner there,” Landau said.

Senator James Risch, a Republican, who also spoke at the reception, announced he would introduce a bill to Congress this week aimed at repealing the Jackson–Vanik trade rules introduced during the Cold War era that restrict U.S. trade with non-market economies.

In a landmark victory, Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic socialist and state assemblyman from Queens, will become the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in more than a century.

According to unofficial results, Mamdani won over 50 percent of the vote, while Cuomo received around 41 percent and Sliwa about 7 percent. The victory follows a dynamic grassroots campaign built on small-donation fundraising, extensive social media engagement, and a

progressive agenda centered on affordability, housing reform, free public transit, and a $30 minimum wage.

Mamdani’s ascent marks a shift in New York’s political landscape, where voters appear to have favored a candidate focused on economic realities over establishment politics. Analysts say his message on affordability resonated strongly with working- and middle-class New Yorkers struggling with the city’s high cost of living.

The result also signals a broader Democratic resurgence in major urban centers, countering predictions of a conservative rebound.

Despite his decisive win, Mamdani faces steep challenges as he prepares to lead one of the world’s most complex cities. Turning ambitious campaign promises into actionable policies will require navigating entrenched bureaucratic systems and diverse political interests.

His positions on foreign policy-related issues, including Israel and antisemitism, are expected to draw scrutiny in a city with one of the largest Jewish populations globally.
A historic milestone

Mamdani’s election is historic not only because he is the first Muslim and first South Asian to hold the office, but also because it represents a generational shift in New York politics. At 34, he embodies the rise of a younger, more progressive generation within the Democratic Party.

Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn in on January 1, 2026, as the 111th mayor of New York City.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda to academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. The family immigrated to Cape Town, South Africa when he was five years old and then to the United States when he was seven, settling in New York City.

Mamdani graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and received a bachelor’s degree with a major in Africana studies from Bowdoin College in Maine in 2014.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will pay an official working visit to Washington on November 18 for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, a White House official confirmed Monday.

The visit is expected to focus on expanding strategic and defense ties, as well as discussions on Saudi Arabia potentially joining the Abraham Accords — the normalization framework between Israel and several Arab states first brokered by Trump in 2020.

During that period, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco signed agreements establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Riyadh has so far withheld from joining, citing the need for tangible progress toward Palestinian statehood.

In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump said he believed the Saudis would “eventually join” the accords, adding that ongoing dialogue with Riyadh was “encouraging.”

The two leaders are also expected to review a potential U.S.–Saudi defense agreement. According to a senior administration official, “discussions about signing something when the Crown Prince comes are ongoing, but details remain in flux.”

Reports suggest the deal could include formal U.S. security guarantees for the Kingdom and permission for Saudi Arabia to acquire advanced American weaponry.

Saudi Arabia remains one of Washington’s closest defense partners and a leading purchaser of U.S. arms. The two nations’ long-standing partnership — oil for security — has been a cornerstone of Middle East relations for decades.

Earlier this year, during Trump’s visit to Riyadh, the U.S. finalized an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, underscoring the depth of the defense relationship.

Analysts say the upcoming visit marks a significant moment for both leaders: for Trump, a chance to reinforce his foreign policy agenda centered on Middle East normalization; and for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an opportunity to solidify Riyadh’s global influence amid shifting regional alliances.