"We are encouraged by the progress made recently in implementing some of the commitments Uzbekistan has adopted as a participating State of the OSCE, including efforts to improve detention conditions, the release of some human rights defenders, and the abolition of the death penalty," Lenarcic said.

"Our talks here have shown clearly that there is a willingness on both sides to work together more closely in the future to strengthen Uzbekistan’s compliance with its international commitments," he added.

In his meetings with Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov and other high-level officials, Lenarcic offered ODIHR’s assistance in areas such as improving the process of democratic law-making, reviewing human rights related legislation, combating trafficking in human beings, fighting terrorism in line with human rights standards, and human rights education. He also said ODIHR could assist in creating a climate that is more conducive to the work of civil society.

The ODIHR director agreed with the director of Uzbekistan’s National Human Rights Centre, Akmal Saidov, to discuss the details of potential future projects during the OSCE’s annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, which convenes in Warsaw later this month.

In view of the parliamentary elections scheduled for December 2009, Lenarcic stressed his office’s readiness to dispatch in the near future a standard needs assessment mission to determine the format of a possible ODIHR involvement in observing the elections.