US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, George Krol, is in Uzbekistan for a series of high-level meetings.
"He is here for a couple days and will have meetings with government and non-governmental people. The purpose is to start a process of dialogue," a representative of the US embassy in Tashkent told EurasiaNet on November 18.
Observers believe Krol will focus on regional security issues and military-technical cooperation during his talks with Uzbek officials. Krol's visit to Tashkent follows on a two-day trip to Turkmenistan earlier this week.