Newly appointed US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick on Thursday (November 17) held his first press conference at the US Embassy in Tashkent to discuss the priority areas of his upcoming 3-year-long diplomatic journey in the republic. In his welcoming speech, the US envoy emphasized mass media's fundamental role in developing any democracy.
‘I firmly believe that all of you, the perfect professional journalists here in Uzbekistan, are some of our most important partners. The media plays a fundamental role in any democracy. And so you can count on me during the time that I'm here as ambassador; we will be as open and transparent as possible with all of you and as accessible as possible', Ambassador Jonathan Henick said, ‘Unfortunately, I believe that some of the information that is available here in Uzbekistan, is coming not from independent, local professional journalists like you, but coming straight from other countries. And unfortunately, not all of that information is accurate. And so I think we, as an embassy, need to work harder to ensure that people have accurate information about Uzbekistan. And I hope that all of you will do your role as well as journalists, to make sure that you check the information you're putting out to your audiences, and ensure that it is, in fact, truthful information’, Ambassador added.
Jonathan Henick, sworn in as US Ambassador on October 14 this year, recalled his previous mission in the republic.
‘I'm very pleased to be back in Uzbekistan. I did my very first diplomatic assignment here between 1994 and 1996. I have very fond memories of the country, but I must say, it has changed tremendously. The development and growth have been extraordinary. And it's a pleasure to see how much the country has developed and our relationship has developed'.
Regarding the investment climate, Jonathan Henick said that additional measures would help ensure proper legislation and intellectual property protection. Besides, the US envoy highlighted the importance of combatting corruption and limiting the number of state-share enterprises.
‘The Government of Uzbekistan has done tremendous work over the last few years to eliminate child labor and forced labor in the cotton sector. Creating some of the conditions, I think, will lead to more and more investment here in Uzbekistan. But just as Uzbekistan is one of the most welcoming and hospitable countries in the world to travelers and tourists, we need to do more to make Uzbekistan even more welcoming to foreign investment because investment goes where it feels most welcome. But we are determined to work with the government and private sector here to eliminate any obstacles to foreign investment. And we're doing our part to encourage more US companies to consider investing here in Uzbekistan’, Ambassador Jonathan Henick noted.
'There are many things about Uzbekistan that are very attractive to foreign companies. First and foremost, the human capital and human resources in Uzbekistan. There's a very large and educated, and hardworking workforce. Uzbekistan is a significant market in terms of size, but it's also ideally placed to be a center for the broader region. And then, finally, as I said before, the current government's position is very open and attractive to foreign investors. And so, we need to work together to reduce the negatives and accentuate the positives to attract more foreign investment here. I would say I've been deeply impressed with some of the reforms I've seen here over the last several years'.
The US envoy also reflected on the first plenary session of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of Uzbekistan:
‘And the reports I'm hearing from the US companies that participated is that they are getting a very clear message from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev that President and the government are doing what they can to welcome and encourage more investment.’
The US envoy said that Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization would also help speed the increase of trade and investment. The main task of the United States in Uzbekistan lies in promoting Uzbekistan's economic growth.
‘It's an excellent opportunity to say, very openly, that contributing to Uzbekistan's economic development and prosperity is perhaps my highest goal,’ Ambassador concluded.
More on this subject:
Newly appointed US Ambassador Jonathan Henick arrives in Uzbekistan
Comments (0)