SAMARKAND, October 19. /TASS/. The US is not competing with China or Russia for influence in Uzbekistan; the main goal is to expand cooperation based on open competition without dictating who they should do business with, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

The top US diplomat arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, the previous evening.

According to Rubio, the US simply wants fair competition and new opportunities for American companies. During a walk through the ancient Registan Square, he told reporters that American goods and services can compete with other producers in every region of the world, the NOVA24-LIVE news outlet reported.

The secretary of state pointed out that this is precisely why nearly 300 American business representatives traveled with him to Uzbekistan.

Earlier reports indicated that Rubio would participate in the second meeting of the American-Uzbek Business and Investment Council, as well as a C5+1 meeting of foreign ministers from Central Asian countries and the US.