US Secretary of State John Kerry met with some of the world’s most repressive Governments on Sunday, hoping to deepen America’s economic and security ties in Central Asia despite the often poor respect for human rights across the strategic region.
A day after visiting the area’s only parliamentary democracy, Kerry engaged in a difficult balancing act. The countries he spoke with included two still ruled by the only presidents they’ve ever known and another whose leader has been in power more than two decades. But given their geography just north of unstable Afghanistan, and squeezed by the political influence of Russia and commercial dominance of China, the United States has an interest in maintaining and cultivating even stronger ties.
“In Central Asia as elsewhere, people have a deep hunger for Governments that are accountable and effective,” Kerry told the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The agenda for the six-nation talks was far broader, however, promoting greater commercial activity among the five former Soviet republics and increased security cooperation to counter the Islamic State’s activities.