Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 13 December 2021, the first meeting of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States of America was held in Tashkent.

The delegations of the parties were headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu.

An exchange of views took place on topical issues of the bilateral and regional agenda in the spheres of politics and diplomacy, economy and development, security, the human dimension, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as contacts through international organizations and financial institutions.

The unchanging and firm position of the United States in support of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Uzbekistan was reaffirmed. The readiness of the US Government was emphasized to actively assist the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan to liberalize the economy, protect human rights and freedoms, and develop democratic institutions and civil society.

The parties spoke in favor of stepping up interaction within the framework of the C5 + 1 mechanism and bringing this format to a practical level in order to achieve significant results.

The delegations noted the need to continue joint efforts to counter the threats of terrorism and extremism, advance the peace process in Afghanistan, post-conflict reconstruction of the country and provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

Proposals were considered for the institutionalization of the Uzbek-American strategic partnership in specific areas, as well as the launch of the negotiation process on the conclusion of Agreements on the mutual protection of investments and the avoidance of double taxation.