US Secretary of State said that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s high-level visit was of historic importance. The positive results have been achieved in Uzbekistan in recent years in the spheres of civil society reform, abolition of forced labor as well as ensuring freedom of speech and religion. He said that he supports it and noted that the US is developing a new strategy for Central Asia.
The United States will grant $1 million to support trade relations between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. This was announced by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo after a meeting with the Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.
“I can say that our cooperation will continue to grow consistently. Our desire is that American businesses also make a significant contribution to the reform process in Uzbekistan, and create new jobs. We are ready to provide technical assistance for ongoing reforms in the financial and tax systems in Uzbekistan. Security issues were also discussed at the meeting. In this regard, we welcome the efforts of Uzbekistan in achieving peace in Afghanistan,” Michael Pompeo said.
He also touched upon the efforts of the US President Donald Trump administration in the region. As he reported, the US is developing a new strategy for Central Asia.
“We are looking forward to holding the “Central Asia – US” ministerial meeting in Tashkent at the moment. This form of cooperation will help fight against terrorism, settle regional and energy issues,” Pompeo said.
He highlighted Uzbekistan’s initiatives to achieve peace in Afghanistan.
“As a neighbor, Uzbekistan has been making consistent efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan. We highly appreciate it,” Pompeo noted.
