AKIPRESS.COM - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon discussed the human rights situation in the Central Asian country, the Tajik service of the RFE/RL reported.

Guterres told journalists after the talks in Dushanbe on June 12 that the UN will help Tajikistan implement recommendations by the UN Human Rights Council.

Guterres started a Central Asian tour on June 8 in Kazakhstan, where he attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping that includes four Central Asian countries, China, Russia, and new members India and Pakistan.

The UN chief visited Uzbekistan on June 10 and Kyrgyzstan on June 11. He plans to wrap up the regional tour in Turkmenistan on June 13.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement on June 7 urging Guterres to "push Central Asian leaders for specific improvements, including ending torture and the crackdowns on demonstrations and freedom of expression."