Activities of Secretary-General in Uzbekistan, 11-12 June

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, together with Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Uzbekistan in the evening on Thursday, 11 June.

Uzbekistan was the fourth of the five countries he visited in Central Asia.

In the capital, Tashkent, he met on Friday morning with President Islam A. Karimov.

The Secretary-General also met with United Nations staff working in Uzbekistan.

After attending a lunch hosted by President Karimov, the Secretary-General spoke to reporters, saying that he welcomed the country's active participation in multilateral discussions at the United Nations and its contributions to addressing regional and global issues of concern.

He said that the United Nations stands ready to assist Uzbekistan in promoting and protecting fundamental freedoms and providing opportunities for public participation — including through independent media, democratic institutions, access to justice, a stronger voice for civil society and safeguards that enable human rights defenders to do their vital work.

The Secretary-General also visited Bukhara, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.  Situated on the Silk Route, it is more than 2,000 years old and is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia.

Before departing Uzbekistan for Turkmenistan, the Secretary-General attended a dinner hosted by Mukhiddin Esanov, Governor of the Bukhara region, and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.