Central Asia: US Diplomat Claims Democratization Success for American Policy

Washington's deliberate approach on encouraging democratization in Central Asian states is bearing some fruit, a senior US diplomat contended during an April 8 congressional hearing.

In particular, reforms demanded of Kazakhstan in exchange for its chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010, and a bill that could impose sanctions on Uzbekistan, are pushing those countries to take positive steps toward more open societies, said Richard Boucher, assistant secretary of state in the Bureau for South and Central Asian Affairs. He testified on April 8 before the House subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment.

Boucher acknowledged that the United States had led efforts among OSCE members to delay Kazakhstan's bid for the chairmanship of the organization. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. But he said that Washington came around to support the bid because Kazakhstan promised to implement several key reforms. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"It was important to us that we heard Kazakhstan say