WASHINGTON, April 8, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The second Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABC) between Tajikistan and the United States start in Dushanbe on Monday, April 11.  The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, the head of the US delegation, gave a blitz interview to Umed Babakhanov, Asia-Plus Chief Bureau in Washington, DC ahead of the visit.

Q: Mr. Blake, you are going to visit Dushanbe soon for the second Tajik – American ABC as a head of the US delegation.  Who will join you on this trip?

A: I will lead the U.S. delegation at the second Annual Bilateral Consultations, and will meet representatives of the government of Tajikistan, local business representatives, political party leaders, and international donors.  I will be joined by colleagues from the State Department, Department of Defense, and U.S. Agency for International Development.  

Q:  A year has passed since the first Tajik-American consultations in February 2010. Are you satisfied with the outcome of the work done? What has not been resolved during this time?

A:  In February 2010, the United States and Tajikistan launched the Annual Bilateral Consultation (ABC) process in Washington, DC, giving both governments the opportunity to discuss on a regular basis issues of mutual concern at a high level.  Our second meeting of the ABCs is going to take place April 11-12 in Dushanbe. Since our last consultations, we have made important progress towards strengthening our bilateral relationship.  The political dialogue has intensified with several senior-level meetings in the past year, including visits by Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith, Special Envoy Representative to the OIC Rashad Hussain, and General Mattis.   I traveled to Dushanbe in August and appreciated the warm welcome and hospitality I received.

Tajikistan has faced difficult challenges in its short history, emerging from the collapse of the Soviet Union only to enter a terrible civil war.  We have been proud to assist them, providing nearly a billion dollars to improve health and education, increase law enforcement and counter-terrorism capabilities, open up the economy, and bring stability to the people of Tajikistan.  We look forward to continuing this partnership.  Tajikistan also offers important support to International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan, which we greatly appreciate.   Nevertheless, we are concerned about some recent developments.  For example, the government has taken several recent steps to restrict peaceful worship by banning religious literature and shutting down mosques. 

Q:  What are the new topics to discuss with Tajik Government on your agenda? 

A: This ABC provides an opportunity to focus on more concrete action items in the bilateral agenda; to discuss democracy, governance, and investment issues; and to offer our cooperation to improve in these areas.  We continue to enjoy good cooperation in our efforts to combat terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and trafficking in persons.  I hope we can expand our work in these areas.  This is a good opportunity to review all these issues in a friendly, cooperative spirit.