U.S. Embassy
January 27
uring January 28-29, a delegation co-chaired by Elizabeth Jones, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs and Mira Ricardel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Eurasia will be in Tashkent for the first U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Security Cooperation Consultations (JSCC).
Assistant Secretary Jones and Deputy Assistant Secretary Ricardel will also meet with President Islam Karimov and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov.
The joint consultations will cover a broad range of political, economic, humanitarian and military issues. They reflect the United States's desire for deepened and greatly expanded ties with Uzbekistan.
The U.S. delegation will also visit Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Elizabeth Jones was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs on May 31, 2001. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor for Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy after having been Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (1998-2000). Ms. Jones was Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan (1995-98) and Executive Assistant to Secretary of State Warren Christopher (1993-94).
Mira Ricardel was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Eurasia in August 2001. Ms. Ricardel is responsible for planning and developing U.S. defense and military policy on regional security matters, national security issues and defense policy priorities for Russia, Ukraine, the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkans. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Ricardel was Chief Operating Officer of Driven Industries, a media firm she co-founded in New York City.