State Dept. official says US-Uzbek relations not limited to co-op on Afghanistan
The U.S. relations with Uzbekistan are not limited to cooperation on Afghanistan, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told Uzbek journalists on Friday.
Blake said these relations include the expansion of cooperation in the fields of economy, energy and climate change.
The representative of the U.S. State Department also noted that a major part of the international coalition cargo goes through Uzbekistan, as the latter and Afghanistan are linked through railroad.
"The Afghan problem will continue to be an important part of the U.S. relations with Uzbekistan after 2014," Blake said.
Currently, Washington and Tashkent are discussing the types of equipment withdrawn from Afghanistan to be handed over to Uzbekistan.
Blake also said the issues of human rights and civil society were an important part of the dialogue during his visit and the talks in Tashkent.