US State Secretary John Kerry met Saturday with the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, initiating "a new format for regional discussions," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement, Sputnik reported.
"The Secretary and the C5 foreign ministers discussed how the United States and countries of the region can work together to address common challenges to security and economic development," the statement reads.
According to the spokesman, the group "reviewed the security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on stability in Central Asia."
"The Secretary and the foreign ministers agreed to consider further discussions in the C5+1 format in the near future, to supplement existing bilateral dialogues," the statement added.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly in New York.