In Ashgabat on 16 February, he will conduct a mid-year review of the Annual Bilateral Consultations and will meet with government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives.

On 17-18 February, he will lead the US side in Tashkent at the second Annual Bilateral Consultations. A business delegation composed of representatives from leading US firms will accompany him and hold an Uzbekistan-US Business Forum on 18 February. The Assistant Secretary will also meet with government officials and civil society representatives.

The United States launched the Annual Bilateral Consultations in 2009 with Central Asian countries in order to discuss the full spectrum of our bilateral relationships, including strategic cooperation, human rights, economic issues and regional challenges.