Today, at Tashkent’s Hyatt Regency Hotel were held the talks behind closed doors between the Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and the visiting U.S. Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo.
Speaking at the press briefing following the talks, Michael Pompeo said that he and Abdulaziz Kamilov had discussed the ways to improve the business climate, strengthen the rule of law and ensure sustainable economic growth in Uzbekistan. According to him, the U.S. Treasury will soon provide Uzbekistan the technical assistance for key financial sector and tax policy reforms.
“We are doing all this because the United States are Uzbekistan’s real partner and friend, and we will never take any action that is detrimental to Uzbekistan” Michael Pompeo underscored.
We want U.S. private investment to flow into Uzbekistan, as there is no better way to sustainable growth and investment inflow than job creation and wealth, he said.
Michael Pompeo thanked his colleagues in Uzbekistan for their continued efforts to support peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
“In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the United States will provide U.S.$ 1 million in assistance to expand trade and ties between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan,” he said. “Strengthening ties between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan will support peace and prosperity not only here and in Afghanistan, but throughout the Central Asia and beyond.”
“Uzbekistan also deserves praise for its progress in the field of human rights. The country is expanding the space for civil society, striving to end forced labor, and easing restrictions on the media,” he said, adding that where religious freedom is protected, peace and prosperity flourish.
The U.S. Secretary of State also commented on the C5+1 ministerial meeting format, which will also take place today.
“It has been proven that this meeting is becoming an increasingly effective platform for coordinating the efforts of Central Asian countries, including the fight against terrorism and the expansion of regional economic and energy ties. Most of our progress is due to the good neighborly policies of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, ” Michael Pompeo noted
"The Uzbek-U.S. partnership ties between are at the peak, and Uzbekistan does not want to experience undesirable political consequences due to some competition between major world powers in Central Asia," the Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov stated in his remarks.
“We managed to reach an agreement with my counterpart for advancing the ties in the trade, economic, investment, scientific-technical and education areas. Uzbekistan is ready to continue creating favorable conditions for American business and encouraging the implementation of joint projects,” he assured.
Particularly, according to Abdulaziz Kamilov, the parties have an increased mutual understanding in the field of human rights.
“Washington recognizes the significant progress made in Uzbekistan over the past year in ensuring religious freedom, ending forced and child labor, protecting human rights, and creating conditions for ensuring freedom of speech,” the minister emphasized.
“In spite of the progress made, we agreed and acknowledged the existence of issues on which we will continue to work closely to completely lift some irritating points from the bilateral agenda,” the Uzbek Foreign Minister said.
According to the minister, the parties discussed the bilateral cooperation to prevent challenges and threats, and promote peace processes in Afghanistan and agreed to advance joint work to assist Afghanistan to enhance its connectivity in trade, economic and transport communications to the Central Asia.
“Our relationship is developing steadily and predictably. Our further efforts will be aimed at searching for mutually beneficial areas of strategic partnership ties, ” Abdulaziz Kamilov noted.
