DUSHANBE, July 19, 2012, Asia-Plus — Alice Wells, Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia at the United States National Security Council (NSC), visited Tajikistan on July 17-18.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, while in Tajikistan, Senior Director Wells met with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi to discuss U.S.-Tajik bilateral relations.
She also had a roundtable discussion with leaders of Tajikistan”s political parties. Tajikistan was the first stop in Senior Director Wells” tour of Central Asia, with onward stops in Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Ms. Wells will travel to Moscow, Russia at the conclusion of her Central Asia meetings.
Following her meeting with President Emomali Rahmon, Senior Director Wells told journalists that she had a very productive conversation with Tajik leader.
“We look forward to increasing both the intensity and the breadth of our consultations and cooperation with Tajikistan. I conveyed appreciation for Tajikistan’s assistance in supporting the Northern Distribution Network, as well as, its regional efforts to anchor a secure, stable, prosperous Afghanistan in a secure, stable, and prosperous region,” NSC senior director said.
According to her, they discussed how the United States can also assist Tajikistan as it moves forward in accession to the World Trade Organization and the United States looks forward to helping Tajikistan in that process, both at a technical level and the delegations of the two countries are in Geneva today working on these issues.
“Regionally, we also emphasize the importance of greater cooperation and integration. The United States will be hosting a regional trade and investment framework agreement meeting in Almaty in October of this year. We look forward to Tajikistan’s participation. We also discussed the range of projects that Secretary Clinton introduced last year as part of the New Silk Road initiative and we appreciate Tajikistan’s enthusiasm for this effort,” Mrs. Wells noted.
“And I had a wonderful meeting with representatives of Tajikistan’s political parties today and as part of my discussion with President Rahmon we discussed how the strengthening of rule of law, freedom of expression can advance the goals of economic and political modernization.”
