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                      Kerry Touts Security in Turkmenistan

   by VOA News

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed support for boosting
   Turkmenistan's economic prospects as he visited Tuesday on the final
   leg of a five-nation tour of central Asia.

   "We can do more together to help your people develop some of the skill
   sets necessary in this modern economy," Kerry said, as he met with
   President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov during the brief stop.

   He also said the U.S. does not want to see a struggle for influence
   with China and Russia in which one country has to win and others lose.

   "What we want to see is a central Asia that claims its place as an
   engine of growth at the heart of a modern and dynamic Asia."


   ''


   Tajikistan
   Earlier Tuesday, Kerry was in Tajikistan, which shares a long border
   with Afghanistan, for talks that included a focus on security threats.
   Kerry told reporters after meeting with President Imomali Rakhmon that
   he emphasized the U.S.' commitment to working with Tajikistan and
   others to boost their border security.

   "We want to work with you on the economic challenge which we know is
   significant right now," Kerry said. "We also want to continue to work
   and even strengthen the enormous amount of security cooperation we are
   engaged in."

   In addition to the ongoing violence in Afghanistan, Kerry's trip comes
   as a more assertive Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine a
   year ago and in recent weeks launched aerial attacks in Syria against
   rebel groups fighting forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

   ''Appreciation of support
   On Monday, the secretary told Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev
   Monday that the United States is appreciative of his support for
   nuclear non-proliferation and the fight against Islamic State
   insurgents.

   "We have a very strong set of security interests," Kerry said of the
   U.S. and Kazakhstan.

   Nazarbayev said he was grateful for the "permanent support" of the U.S.
   for Kazakhstan's "sovereignty and economic development."

   In a speech at Nazarbayev University, Kerry urged Central Asian
   governments to not use the fear of extremism to crack down on dissent.

   "Terrorism is not a legitimate excuse to lock up political opponents,
   diminish the rights of civil society or pin a false label on activists
   who are engaged in peaceful dissent," Kerry said.

   ''Uzbekistan
   In Uzbekistan on Sunday, Kerry met the leaders of five former Soviet
   republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
   Uzbekistan, which all are concerned about a resurgence of the Taliban
   in Afghanistan and the recruitment of their people into such terrorist
   organizations as the Islamic State. Kerry addressed these concerns at
   the meeting in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand.

   U.S. officials regard Kerry's visit as a way of assuring the Central
   Asian nations of the strength of their ties to Washington at a time
   when U.S.-Russian relations are strained. But he also is under pressure
   to speak out against the shortcomings of their human rights records.

   Human rights concerns
   U.S.-based[1] Human Rights Watch asked Kerry to press for the release
   of people wrongfully imprisoned, end impunity for torture, and uphold
   other key rights commitments.

   The [2]Committee to Protect Journalists recently urged Kerry to bring
   attention to journalists jailed for political reasons and online
   censorship, and to decry physical attacks on members of the media. CPJ
   says its research indicates media freedom has "steadily worsened" in
   Central Asia in the post-Soviet era.

   Kerry's office said Monday the secretary will visit London this week to
   meet with British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond to discuss "a range
   of bilateral and global issues, including Syria."
     __________________________________________________________________

   [3]http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-touts-security-economic-develop
   ment-in-turkemnistan/3034275.html

References

   1. http://www.hrw.org/
   2. http://www.cpj.org/
   3. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-touts-security-economic-development-in-turkemnistan/3034275.html