“We took the sad news with deep sorrow,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Powell has held prominent positions in the American government over the years, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Adviser to the President of the United States, and the US Secretary of State.

“He made a significant contribution to the establishment and development of the Uzbek-American interaction. On March 13, 2002, Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and Secretary of State Colin Powell signed a declaration on strategic partnership and the basis for cooperation, which played an important role in the history of bilateral relations. In connection with this loss, we express our sincere condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased,” the statement says.