SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (AP) – On a tour of Central Asia, Secretary of State John Kerry is hoping to prod the former Soviet republics of the region toward greater democracy and respect for human rights even as they work to snuff out funding and recruiting by the Islamic State group that has spread to the region.
Advertisement
But Kerry also sought more action from Kyrgyzstan to prevent its citizens from joining extremist groups overseas, noting their presence among the throng of foreign fighters who have sown chaos throughout the Middle East. US Secretary of State Kerry begins the third leg of a five nation tour of Central Asia in Kazakhstan, …
Kerry, the first US secretary of state to visit Turkmenistan since James Baker in 1992, said after talks they had discussed the “human dimension”, a diplomatic code phrase he has used during the trip that his aides say encompasses human rights. Recognizing the importance of preserving Central Asia’s rich cultural heritage, the United States, in partnership with Central Asian government and private sector partners, intends to continue to offer strong financial and programmatic support for cultural preservation projects in the region.
Negotiations between the US Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister Kazakhstan, Yerlan Idrisov, are taking place behind closed doors, TASS reports.
The apparent defection this year of a police chief to Islamic State has unnerved Tajik authorities, but the USA official said there had been no signs of his involvement in militant activity in the country since then.
Kyrgyzstan’s president also canceled a scheduled visit to the U.S.in September. Other governments in the region have faced similar accusations. “We are committed to continuing this work”, Nazarbayev said during the meeting. During the summer, Rakhmon’s government banned the only official Islamist political party in former Soviet Central Asia.
Berdimuhamedow also expressed gratitude to the United States for supporting Turkmenistan’s neutral status and especially for its constructive position in adopting the resolution of the UN General Assembly on Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.
In a joint press conference with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev, Kerry said the US was not “in any state of resentment” over the Manas shutdown. We can talk about that a few more.
Like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan’s rights record is widely criticized.
While offering Washington’s ongoing commitment to helping Tajikistan secure its border, a task Russian Federation has historically helped with, Kerry said fighting terrorism should be done “in a way that balances human rights, religious freedom” and political participation.
Advertisement
Asked whether he could rule out more troops being assigned to the mission, he said: “I can’t predict what the future will bring when our policy is to destroy Daesh, to fight back against this evil”.
