As Rubio heads to Central Asia, some wonder if he’s keeping the most pressing matters at a distance

A tour focused on regional ties

Rubio departed Washington for Uzbekistan before continuing to India. The State Department says the trip is intended to advance U.S. economic and security ties across Central and South Asia.

Rubio told reporters that he chose a time when Central Asian leaders could meet. He said diplomatic travel should also allow the United States to build relationships beyond places facing an immediate crisis.

Questions about public visibility

The trip has limited direct connection to the administration’s main foreign policy challenges in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war. That has prompted criticism that Rubio may be favoring lower-risk engagements over more difficult issues.

Rubio has rejected suggestions that he is avoiding those challenges. The State Department says he is involved in discussions on Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Russia-Ukraine and China, though he has not been the public face of those efforts.

Envoys lead several efforts

The department said the conflicts require serious attention but should be considered alongside the president’s wider national security goals. It also said secretaries of state commonly delegate demanding assignments.

A broad travel schedule

Rubio has also concentrated on Latin America, including Venezuela and Cuba, and on ties with NATO allies concerned about the administration’s intentions toward Europe, particularly the Arctic. His recent trips have included Iceland, Greece and Portugal, preceded by Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The article notes that Hillary Clinton, during Barack Obama’s first term, assigned former Sen. George Mitchell to the Israeli-Palestinian file and diplomat Richard Holbrooke to Afghanistan-Pakistan. Rubio, like Clinton, had pursued his party’s presidential nomination before becoming secretary of state, but he has declined to discuss speculation about his political future.