American government delegation arrives in Tashkent

A delegation of the American government, headed by acting special adviser of the State Secretary for newly independent states John Beyrle, arrived in Tashkent on Monday on an one-day visit. The delegation is to hold bilateral consultations with the Uzbek leadership. RIA Novosti correspondent reports that the delegation includes representatives of the State Department, defence and finance ministries. The delegation members are going to meet with president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, vice-president Rustam Azimov, and also foreign, finance and defence ministers. Apart from this, Uzbek border-guards are expected to be presented as a gift with 40 heat vision devices promised by the United States a year ago during former State Secretary Madeleine Albright's visit to Tashkent to help Central Asian countries and Kazakhstan strengthen their state borders. The present meeting in Tashkent is the first in the series of the contacts between the new American administration and the Uzbek leadership. The source at the American embassy told RIA Novosti that the delegation will see the situation themselves in this country.

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