Notorious Uzbek leader welcomes Kerry

Before Kerry’s trip, a senior US official noted that men with the traditional long beards of devout Muslims have faced “particular persecution” in Tajikistan, something that has drawn criticism from worldwide rights groups.

The U.S. envoy praised the beauty of Samarkand’s monuments, comparing the ancient centre of Islamic learning favourably to the devastation wrought on Syrian sites by IS militants.

“What we want to see is a central Asia that claims its place as an engine of growth at the heart of a modern and dynamic Asia”. “Kerry has the leverage to impress upon Central Asia’s leaders that upholding human rights is in their interest, and a priority for Washington”.

And also, we discussed President Obama’s decision to leave additional troop levels in Afghanistan in order to contribute to regional stability.

The post-Soviet political system suffers from “an inability to change the government through elections”.

Speaking after talks with Rakhmon, Kerry said counterterrorism should be conducted “in a way that balances human rights, religious freedom” and political participation.

In his talks with Karimov, Kerry said he shared central Asian countries’ security concerns about Afghanistan and also recognised the challenge they faced in countering radical extremists, especially Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Kerry said the United States would continue to support the institution.

It was Kerry’s first meeting as secretary of state with Karimov, one of several former Soviet Communist Party bosses in the region whose grip on power has tightened over the years.

Join us in this edition of RFE/RLive to examine the secretary’s trip and the new U.S. – Central Asia relationship, with its implications for security and human rights in the region.

In a ‘joint declaration of partnership and cooperation” on November 1, the C5+1 foreign ministers declared their commitment to “deepening cooperation, including through regular meetings in the “C5+1’ format”.

Kerry also urged Central Asian governments not to use fears of extremism as an excuse to crack down on all forms of dissent. It will build trust through collaboration and people-to-people interactions among water managers across Central Asia and Afghanistan.

“We should have no doubt that progress in democratic governance does lead to gains in every other field”.

The United States intends to expand the number of Muskie Internships available for Central Asian Fulbright Foreign Student Program participants in the disciplines of economics, education, environmental policy and management, global affairs, journalism and mass communication, law, library and information science, public administration, public health, and public policy.

Washington’s top diplomat traveled to Central Asia to kick-start a historic initiative to reinvigorate US engagement with the region, but it was the unceremonious treatment of a reporter that is going to stick in the memory.