DUSHANBE, February 18, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. is expected to arrive in Dushanbe in the afternoon of February 20.

A well-informed source in the Tajik Government says Assistant Secretary Blake will hold talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on February 21 to discuss issues related to bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and the United States.  The current situation in Afghanistan will also be among major topics of the talks.

While in Dushanbe, Mr. Robert O. Blake, Jr. is also scheduled to meet with representatives of Tajik business community and leaders of local civil society.  He will also give a press conference on the results of his discussions with high-ranking Tajik state officials, the source said.

Meanwhile, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that Assistant Secretary Blake is traveling to New Delhi, India from February 18-20, where he is participating in a tripartite dialogue between the United States, India and Afghanistan.

The Obama Administration launched high-level Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABCs) with Central Asia’s states on counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, democratic reforms, the rule of law, human rights, trade, investment, health, and education in December 2009.

He We will recall that Tajikistan and the United States launched the Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABC) process in Washington, DC, in February 2010, giving both governments the opportunity to discuss on a regular basis issues of mutual concern at a high level.  The second meeting of the ABCs Annual took place in Dushanbe on April 11-12, 2011 and the third Annual Bilateral Consultations were held in Washington in May 2012.