DUSHANBE, April 23, 2015, Asia-Plus — Recognizing the important contributions of the five Central Asian republics to broader regional stability, an interagency team is visiting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for bilateral consultations on Afghanistan, April 20–24, according to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.
This group, led by State Department officials including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Daniel Rosenblum and Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Laurel Miller, is discussing the enduring U.S. commitment to the region as well as recent developments in Afghanistan with government officials in each of the capitals.
The team is expected to visit Tajikistan on April 24.
These consultations have reportedly occurred for the past five years, originally at the request of the governments of Central Asia’s nations. The group is discussing recent developments in Afghanistan, including the election of the Government of National Unity, the current security situation, and the NATO Resolute Support Mission, which is focused on training, advice and assistance for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
The United States looks forward to collaborating to address common challenges and threats, and to continuing our close partnership with the governments of the Central Asian republics on regional security and stability.
