Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, David Hale to visit Uzbekistan on August 22-23, the Department of State said in a statement. He is currently in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, where he is meeting with senior government officials to discuss the U.S. – Kazakhstan enhanced strategic partnership and cooperation on bilateral and global issues. While in Nur-Sultan, Under Secretary Hale and Central Asian states’ foreign ministers will hold a high-level meeting in the C5+1 format, where they will discuss joint efforts toward a better-connected, more prosperous, and more secure Central Asia.
Under Secretary Hale will then travel to Tashkent, where he will meet with senior Uzbek government officials and demonstrate American support for Uzbek President Mirziyoyev’s reform agenda and encourage deeper bilateral cooperation on issues, including security, education, and trade.
The C5+1 meetingwas established in November 2015 “to address common security and environmental challenges, improve regional trade flows, and enhance prospects for U.S. trade and investment with the region.”
