President of Uzbekistan meets with US Special Representative

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov met with Richard Holbrooke, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, at Oqsaroy on February 19, 2010.

Welcoming the prominent US diplomat, the head of Uzbekistan expressed the attitude of the country toward further development of Uzbek-American relations on a constructive basis to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Today, Uzbekistan supplies this country with energy, soft commodities, builds transportation system and provides aid in different spheres of socioeconomic reconstruction. For example, the volume of Uzbek energy supplied to Afghanistan has increased several times this year. Uzbek specialists construct the Hairaton – Mazari-Sharif railway. Large volumes of humanitarian goods and cargo are delivered to Afghanistan through the territory of Uzbekistan.

At the talk, Mr Holbrooke thanked the Uzbek leader for the warm welcome and underscored the interest of American administration in strengthening the mutual cooperation with Uzbekistan to maintain regional security. The US Special Representative stressed the particular importance of the position of Uzbekistan to address the Afghan conflict.

Prospects of bilateral cooperation development as well as other topics of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting.