Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - A press conference was held in Tashkent at which Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo informed about the outcome of negotiations between delegations of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States, Dunyo reported.

“We discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, which have acquired a systemic and regular character, they are at the peak of their development,” said Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov.

He noted that the interaction between the two states is developing on the basis of the agreements reached at the highest level, and also thanks to the recognition by the American side of the large-scale reforms carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

As noted at the press conference, during the negotiations, special attention was paid to the implementation of the agreements reached during the summit held in Washington in May 2018. The parties agreed to fill the strategic partnership developing in a new spirit with practical content, continuing the implementation of joint projects in the fields of education, innovation, information technology and others.

“The United States of America recognizes the progress made by Uzbekistan in recent years in the field of freedom of religion, the prevention of child and forced labor, the protection of human rights and freedom of speech. We will continue the dialogue on other topical issues on the agenda,” said Abdulaziz Kamilov.

At a press conference, the parties confirmed their readiness to maintain cooperation aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the Central Asian region, as well as the similarity of positions on regional initiatives. In this context, the effectiveness of the ministerial meeting in the “C5 + 1” format in the implementation of multilateral regional initiatives was emphasized.

The Head of the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan also said that during the talks an exchange of views took place on such pressing issues as countering modern challenges, achieving peace in Afghanistan, and facilitating the country's involvement in the trade and economic processes and transit and communication systems of Central Asia in order to ensure its economic stability.

The US Secretary of State, in turn, noted the importance of the official visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the USA, the successes achieved by our country in the development of civil society, the prevention of child and forced labor, in the field of freedom of religion and speech, and expressed support for these processes.

“Based on the results of today's negotiations, I can say that we will continue our cooperation. We would like representatives of American business to contribute to the reform processes in Uzbekistan and are ready to provide technical support for transformations in the financial and tax spheres. We also discussed security issues. We welcome Uzbekistan’s efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan,” said Michael Pompeo.

He said that the United States is ready to allocate financial assistance in the amount of US$1 million for the development of economic ties between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

The US Secretary of State also dwelt on the policies of the Donald Trump Administration for Central Asia. According to him, the United States is currently developing a new strategy for the region. “We look forward to a ministerial meeting in the format of Central Asia and the United States.” This format will allow solving regional, energy issues, problems of the fight against terrorism,” he said.

During the press conference, journalists asked questions about the efforts of the two countries to achieve peace in Afghanistan.

Abdulaziz Kamilov noted that Uzbekistan highly appreciates the US policy towards Afghanistan.

“The US presence in Afghanistan allows us to ensure peace and deter terrorism and drug trafficking,” he said. - We support the US talks with representatives of the Taliban movement, which is an integral part of Afghan society. The war in Afghanistan lasts 40 years, and this conflict cannot be resolved by signing one document. The process of reaching peace can take a long time. "We perceive US efforts to reach an agreement with the Taliban as measures to achieve peace in that country."

In turn, Michael Pompeo welcomed the initiatives of Uzbekistan to achieve peace in Afghanistan.

“Uzbekistan, as a neighboring state, seeks to implement measures to achieve peace in Afghanistan. We greatly appreciate this,” he emphasized.