|
Uzbekistan
The United States
The United States recognized Uzbekistan as an independent state
in December 1991; diplomatic relations were established in February
1992, following a visit by Secretary of State James Baker to the
republic, and the United States opened an embassy in Tashkent
the following month. During 1992, a variety of United States aid
programs were launched. Operation Provide Hope delivered an estimated
US$6 million of food and medical supplies for emergency relief
of civilians affected by the Tajik civil war; the Peace Corps
sent its first group of about fifty volunteers to Uzbekistan;
an agreement with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC) began encouraging United States private investment in Uzbekistan
by providing direct loans and loan guarantees and helping to match
projects with potential investors; and humanitarian and technical
assistance began to move to a wide range of recipients. In 1993
the United States granted Uzbekistan most-favored-nation trade
status, which went into force in January 1994. In March 1994,
a bilateral assistance agreement and an open lands agreement were
signed. In 1995 a variety of investment and other treaties were
under discussion, and several United States non-governmental organizations
were initiating joint projects throughout Uzbekistan.
In the first two years of Uzbekistan's independence, the United
States provided roughly US$17 million in humanitarian assistance
andUS$13 million in technical assistance. For a time, continued
human rights violations in Uzbekistan led to significant restrictions
in the bilateral relationship, and Uzbekistan received significantly
less United States assistance than many of the other former Soviet
republics. Because Uzbekistan was slow to adopt fundamental economic
reforms, nonhumanitarian United States assistance was largely
restricted to programs that support the building of democratic
institutions and market reform. By the end of 1995, however, United
States-Uzbekistan relations were improving, and significantly
more bilateral economic activity was expected in 1996.
Data as of March 1996
|
