UZBEKISTAN: Japanese Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi talks human rights and trade with Uzbek president Islam Karimov

Japanese Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi held talks in Uzbekistan on Tuesday (August 29) on the second leg of a tour of Central Asia. Koizumi's trip to Uzbekistan is the first by a key leader from the Western camp since the Andizhan uprising in May 2005 when witnesses saw hundreds of men, women and children being killed after troops opened fire on a crowd. Uzbekistan has expelled U.S. troops from a military base after that and sought closer ties with Russia and Asia instead. Koizumi, who also visited oil-producing Kazakhstan earlier this week, cautiously avoided giving Uzbek President Islam Karimov a public dressing-down on the human rights front. Koizumi, seeking to bolster Tokyo's role in Central Asia, discussed energy ties with Karimov and cautiously pressed him on human rights. The West, including Japan's key ally the United States, has criticised Karimov for cracking down on dissent and jailing opposition politicians in his gas-rich country. Mindful of China's aggressive oil diplomacy in Central Asia, Koizumi also focused on oil, gas and uranium cooperation in his talks with Karimov. Resource-poor Japan's foray into Central Asia underlines the country's resolve to play a more active geopolitical role in the region, home to both U.S. and Russian military bases. Although no concrete agreements on energy cooperation were signed, Karimov offered Japan to play a more active role in its natural resource industry, especially uranium. The Japanese premier's first visit to Central Asia began on Monday in oil-rich Kazakhstan, signalling Tokyo's intention to join the race for Central Asia's natural resources.

ITN Source | August 30, 2006

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