Central Asia' trip of the US Under Secretary of State William J. Burns
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns and a high-level American delegation representing not only the State Department, but the White House, the Defense Department, and also the Special Ambassador on energy issues visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in the period of July 10-13 2009.
The purpose of the visit was to discuss a range of bilateral issues with government leaders.
The topics under discussion focused on anti terror cooperation and Central Asian security, common concerns about stability in Afghanistan, cooperation in economic development and the energy sector.
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Karim Massimov met US Under Secretary of State William Burns on the 10th of July 2009.
At the talks the sides dwelt on further development of trade-and-economic ties between Kazakhstan and the USA.
They exchanged their views on the customs union being formed to unite Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia and on Kazakhstan’s accession into the WTO.
William Burns reiterated that the USA are interested in further integration of the Kazakhstan’s economy into the global economy.
The sides agreed that the two nations are ready to strengthen comprehensive interaction.
While in Kyrgyzstan Under Secretary Burns met with President Bakiyev, Prime Minister Chudinov, Foreign Minister Sarbayev, members of civil society, and the press.
A new agreement allowing the U.S. to maintain its air base in Kyrgyzstan for Afghan operations will help to ensure stability across Central Asia, said Mr. William Burns during the meetings. The new transit center agreement will help "ensure that violent extremism and instability doesn't spill over into other parts of the region," William Burns, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, told reporters in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
The facility will be used for the logistical support of operations in Afghanistan and "to help ensure the efficient movement of personnel back and forth between Afghanistan and our coalition partner countries," Burns said. "We're very pleased with the new transit center agreement and we're not looking to get ahead of ourselves at this point," he said.
The U.S. is also starting new programs to strengthen cooperation with Kyrgyzstan against terrorism and the narcotics trade, Burns said.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received the American government delegation led by William J. Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs on July 11 2009.
Thanking for the opportunity of a personal meeting Mr. William J. Burns conveyed the heartfelt greetings of the leadership of his country to the Turkmen leader. The high-ranking official said that the U.S. Government paid special attention to development of full-scale cooperation with Turkmenistan as a dependable and quite promising partner that stood as a bulwark of peace and stability in the Central Asian region. Noting that the United States welcomed the progressive reforms implemented in Turkmenistan to modernize the country, diversify the national economy and guarantee the worthy life to citizens Mr. William J. Burns said that the United States were interested in reliable partnership and stood ready to collaborate closely on the principles on equality and mutual benefit.
Cordially greeting the guests and thanking for the cordial words Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed the best wishes to the leadership of the United States and said that Turkmenistan stood ready for constructive partnership and saw the vast opportunities for wide-scale cooperation with American partners in different fields including the fuel and energy sector, education, agriculture where the profound experience of collaboration had been accumulated.
In this context the sides exchanged views on the ways to further intensify mutual efforts to implement the huge potential of Turkmen-American cooperation.
Expressing satisfaction at the dynamics of development of the intergovernmental dialogue built in compliance with the priorities of both states President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Mr. William J. Burns discussed a broad range of the issues concerning the prospects for cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United States of America and harmonized the specific steps to intensify it. The strategic fields included energy sector, in which partnership between the two countries met the goals of achieving global energy security, and expansion of trade and economic and humanitarian cooperation.
During the meeting the sides exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
U.S. Charge d'Affaires a.i. to Turkmenistan Richard M. Miles attended the meeting.
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received US Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns in Tashkent on 13 July 2009.
The head of the state said the meeting was a good opportunity to exchange opinions on the issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
“We consider your visit as the confirmation of the United States’ readiness to further develop relations with Uzbekistan on a constructive and pragmatic basis, with consideration of the long-term interests of the both countries,” Islam Karimov said.
William Burns noted the US administration was interested in developing relations with Uzbekistan in all spheres.
The sides considered issues related to Uzbek-US relations and other topics representing mutual interest.
The Uzbek-American relations cover a wide range of issues of international and regional policy, including fighting transnational threats, as well as strengthening security and stability.
Uzbekistan and the US cooperate in establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan and socioeconomic recovery of this country.
The non-military and humanitarian cargo is delivered to Afghanistan via the territory of Uzbekistan.
Read the transcripts of all press conferences on PIMS Members site(requires registration and login).
References:
1. US Department of State http://www.state.gov
2. The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan http://en.government.kz
3. The State Internet Portal of Kyrgyz Republic http://eng.gov.kg
4. Informational Site "Turkmenistan - the golden age" http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm
5. The Government Portal of the Republic of Uzbekistan http://new.gov.uz