UPI
November 30
s the war in Afghanistan progresses, U.S. relations with the country's northern neighbor Uzbekistan are getting cozier, and at a cost.
The two governments released a statement Friday pledging to work more closely in the economic and political arena. A statement from Washington and Tashkent says: "Both countries expressed commitment to their qualitatively new, long-term relationship based on their common objectives to combat international terrorism; eradicate social, economic, and financial sources of extremism; and maintain peace and stability and strengthen security in Central Asia."
This was backed up by U.S. approval of a $50 million Export-Import Bank loan for small and medium-size businesses, according to Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister, Rustam Azimov, who led the Uzbek delegation to Washington.
Azimov told reporters and analysts Friday at the Washington-based Atlantic Council that the State Department had also agreed to a $100 million economic assistance package, though U.S. officials say the details are being worked out.
The warming ties for Tashkent come after the government agreed to give U.S. forces basing privileges.
The State Department announced on Friday that a group of civil engineers from the Army had arrived in Termez to provide fortifications to the "friendship bridge," a supply line into Afghanistan that U.S. officials would like to reopen for food shipments into the north of the country. But Uzbek officials said Friday said they were still waiting for assurances that the bridge was safe before they agreed to reopen it.
The new relationship with Uzbekistan presents a dilemma for U.S. officials. The latest State Department human rights report labels the country as an "authoritarian state" with "limited civil rights." The report says Islam Karimov's government arbitrarily arrests "pious Muslims," detentions are often prolonged and the government has outlawed opposition parties.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters Friday, "We are looking for a qualitatively new long-term relationship that is based on common objectives, and that includes eradicating social, economic and financial sources of extremism. So many of these issues are necessary to do that, and these are issues that are on our agenda that we will continue to discuss and work with them."
When asked whether improvements in political and human rights would be a condition for the receipt of further economic assistance, Boucher said, "I don't at this point have a stronger description of the programs for you, nor do I have conditionality of the programs. But the goal of the programs is to support reform in a whole variety of areas."