Not a single agreement on Afghanistan was signed in the course of the visit of US Assistant State Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake to Uzbekistan.
Robert Blake met with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Norov, and other high-rank officials in Tashkent.
Questions on development of bilateral trade and economic relations, cooperation in providing peace and security in the region, counteraction to illegal drug traffic, recovery of neighboring with Uzbekistan Afghanistan, establishment of civil society and securing human rights in the republic were discussed on meetings with Uzbek officials, Blake reported.
Blake also met with representatives of civil society, however, he refused to report details of the conversations.
Agreement on annual sessions of Uzbek-American Intergovernmental Commission offered by American side was reached, he stated.
Robert Blake withheld comments on recent recommendation of US Ministry of Labor to cotton processing and selling companies to forbear from usage of Uzbek cotton due to child labor usage in the process of harvesting it.
“There are very good opportunities for trade and investment activity of the U.S.” in Uzbekistan, he noted.
