The “historic meetings” between the five Central Asian states and the US (C5+1) in NY on September 26, 2015 and in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on November 1, the Office of the Spokesperson said, “represent a significant step forward for the U.S.-Central Asia relationship and a sign of the growing capacity of Central Asian countries to collaborate and prosper as a region”.
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Kerry is halfway through a tour of five former Soviet republics in Central Asia, ranging from troubled parliamentary democracy Kyrgyzstan to two of the world’s most repressive regimes, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, both listed by the U.S.as “countries of particular concern” for severe religious freedom violations.
Kerry began a five-day visit on Saturday in Kyrgyzstan (KEER’-gih-stan), where he met the president and foreign minister. Kerry’s discussions with all five Central Asian governments on Sunday will focus on security, economic and human rights issues.
After the talks in Tajikistan, Kerry flew to isolated Turkmenistan, an energy-rich state that borders Afghanistan, to meet its leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov at the ornate gold-domed presidential palace.
Kerry’s trip was also meant to show that the United States wants to deepen not only security cooperation but also economic ties.
“The United States does support the sovereignty and territorial integrity and independence of each country that’s represented here”, he said at the start of the foreign ministers’ meeting.
“We need to talk about the challenges that all of us face regarding security”, Kerry added, noting that Central Asia borders on war-torn Afghanistan. He said fear about extremist groups “is not a legitimate excuse to lock up political opponents, diminish the rights of civil society or pin a false label on activists who are engaged in peaceful dissent”.
“Our country certainly is founded on our fundamental commitment to and values regarding individual rights – the right of speech of assembly, of protest, of human rights, basically”, said Kerry.
US Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement to the press after a meeting with the Tajik presi …
The State Department’s own reports on the region cite widespread torture and brutality by the security forces, and those by outside watchdogs provide grim reading.
On Monday, the secretary told Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev Monday that the United States is appreciative of his support for nuclear non-proliferation and the fight against Islamic State insurgents.
Human Rights First last week called upon Kerry to speak “forcefully and directly” with Kyrgyz officials about the propaganda bill.
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Kerry’s trip to Central Asia followed warnings from Russian officials about the danger of Islamist militants infiltrating the region from Afghanistan, accompanied by hints Moscow could respond by beefing up its military presence.
