New U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan outlines her priorities
TASHKENT. Feb 5 (Interfax) - Pamela Spartlen, the new ambassador to Uzbekistan from the United States, sees cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, security, and human rights fields as her top priorities in office.
Speaking at her first press conference in Tashkent, Spartlen said the U.S. is determined to continue working actively to improve bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Uzbekistan, considering that Uzbek leadership has the same desire.
Uzbekistan's significance goes far beyond its borders, as the country is making a great contribution to improving stability in Afghanistan, she said.
Consultations between the U.S. and Uzbek foreign policy services and a business forum attended by a large number of members of the two countries' business communities, which took place in Tashkent at the end of 2014, helped determine priority areas of cooperation, she said.
Spartlen acknowledged that the U.S. has great concerns about the situation in Afghanistan, and therefore Washington is determined to work with the countries of the region in this respect and look for joint ways to ensure stability and security in the region.
She also said that, as the U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan, she would work to promote relations with civil society.
Before her appointment to Uzbekistan, Spartlen had served as the U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. She had earlier also worked at the U.S. diplomatic missions to Russia and Kazakhstan.
The previous U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan, George Krol, was recently appointed to head the U.S. diplomatic mission to Kazakhstan.
