Robert O. Blake, Jr.
Assistant Secretary of State
South and Central Asia Affairs
Press Conference
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
April 12, 2011
AMBASSADOR GROSS: Good afternoon everybody, and thank you very much for coming here this afternoon. We realize it's a beautiful day and it's hard to get you away from other things, but we have a special guest here today.
Assistant Secretary Robert Blake has been here along with a delegation for the last two days to talk to our counterparts in the Tajik government. Assistant Secretary Blake is in charge of our bureau that covers South and Central Asia. He's here, as I said, for talks with the Tajik government.
Now I'll turn the podium over to him. He'll tell you a little bit about our visit and be glad to take your questions.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BLAKE: Good afternoon, everyone. It's a pleasure to be back here in Dushanbe since my last visit in August. As Ambassador Gross said, I'm here in Tajikistan to lead the U.S. delegation for the 2nd Annual Bilateral Consultations.
We started these consultations to discuss the broad range of issues on our bilateral agenda, and to discuss practical ways to work together towards a lasting partnership.
I led an interagency delegation that included representatives from the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
I want to thank President Rahmon, Foreign Minister Zarifi, and their government colleagues for their hospitality and for their constructive engagement.
The United States attaches great importance to our relations with Tajikistan. Our discussions touched on a wide range of areas.
We discussed our cooperation in securing Tajikistan's borders and fighting violent extremists as well as Tajikistan's assistance in the stabilization of Afghanistan.
I outlined steps that the Tajik government could take to attract U.S. business, including simplifying the tax code and reducing corruption.
I brought up the importance of religious freedom, media freedom, and our support for a multi-party system including Central Asia's only legal Islamic party, the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan.
I expressed appreciation for the government's significant efforts to combat trafficking in persons, and we discussed how United States assistance can shore up food security and health in Tajikistan.
In addition to the government meetings I met with energetic young Tajiks who have participated in several of our exchange programs. I met today with members of the American Chamber of Commerce, most of whom are Tajik businesses. We discussed how Tajikistan can attract more investment from U.S. firms.
I also met with representatives from Tajikistan's political parties including the Islamic Revival Party. We noted the upcoming May 15th special election and the importance of improving the polling process along the lines of the recommendations from the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
Finally, just before this press conference I had the opportunity to have a roundtable with several media editors. I told them that the United States would continue to urge the government to protect media freedom.
I would like to conclude by reiterating what President Obama and Secretary Clinton have said concerning the burning of the Holy Quran a few weeks ago in Florida. The desecration of any holy text is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry and we reject religious intolerance in any form.
In conclusion, the United States seeks a peaceful, free and prosperous future for Tajikistan and its people, and we continue to assist in that effort.
