Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in New York during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, according to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
During the meeting, the United States recognized Uzbekistan's cooperation in facilitating the removal of illegal migrants from the U.S. and expressed interest in strengthening economic and commercial relations between the two countries. The statement noted, "The United States applauds Uzbekistan for its cooperation in facilitating the removal of illegal migrants from the United States and looks forward to working with Uzbekistan to expand economic and commercial ties that will benefit both countries."
The U.S. also reaffirmed its support for ongoing regional integration efforts involving Uzbekistan, particularly through participation in the C5+1 diplomatic platform. This forum includes the United States along with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. As stated by Pigott: "The United States remains proud of its strategic partnership with Uzbekistan and supports Uzbekistan’s continued regional integration and development, including through the C5+1 diplomatic platform, which represents the United States 'plus' the five Central Asian countries (the C5 – Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan)."
