The ambassador noted that the U.S. Secretary of State managed to do a lot during this relatively short visit. He met with Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“Of course, we do not share specific details of private diplomatic conversations, but I would say that I have rarely been to diplomatic meetings where the priorities of both sides so closely coincide,” the ambassador said.

According to him, Pompeo praised the reform program implemented under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev and “promised that U.S. will continue to support reform politics in Uzbekistan, noting that the strategic partnership between the two countries is expanding.” At bilateral meetings, he discussed ways to further improve the business climate by strengthening the rule of law and added that this should lead to an increase in amount of U.S. private investment.

“He also commented on security cooperation and common goals the countries have for Afghanistan. The Secretary of State said that Uzbekistan deserves gratitude for the significant contribution it made to ensure peace and prosperity in Afghanistan,” Rosenblum added.

The Secretary of State also noted the progress on human rights issues Uzbekistan has made.

In addition, the ambassador mentioned a high level of trust between the countries of Central Asia, which is “closely linked to the policies of President Mirziyoyev.”

“As a person who participated in the very first C5 + 1 Ministerial in 2015 and several of them after that, I can say that I have never seen the level of trust and readiness for cooperation in this region so high as it is now. And this is due to President Mirziyoyev’s “neighbors first” policy, which led to the resolution of many long-standing contradictions between Uzbekistan and its neighbors,” Rosenblum concluded.