US Secretary of State John Kerry sought on Tuesday to reassure the rulers of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan that Washington remained committed to Central Asia’s security, even though it is withdrawing troops from neighboring Afghanistan. Both countries fear the spread of Islamist militancy, and US officials worry that government crackdowns will backfire and bring greater instability. Kerry met Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon in Dushanbe and was due to meet Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat later on Tuesday. “I emphasized the United States’ commitment to work with Tajikistan and other countries … to strengthen border security,” Kerry told reporters after the …read more
Source: Egypt Independent
