Blinken wraps up Central Asia tour before G20 talks in India

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a brief tour of Central Asia in Uzbekistan on Wednesday before heading to India for what is expected to be a contentious Ukraine-dominated meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20. 

Blinken met in Tashkent with senior Uzbek officials a day after warning his counterparts from all five Central Asian nations about the dangers posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

Blinken told reporters after his talks in Tashkent that the invasion had “fostered deep concern across the region.” 

“After all, if a powerful country is willing to try to erase the borders of the sovereign neighbor by force what’s to stop it from doing the same to others,” he said.