AKIPRESS.COM - Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will lead a U.S. delegation to Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan May 23-27 to strengthen U.S. relations with the region and advance collaborative efforts to create a more connected, prosperous, and secure Central Asia, the Department of State announced.

In Kazakhstan, the delegation will meet with senior Kazakhstani officials and civil society leaders to discuss Kazakhstan’s reform agenda, efforts to strengthen human rights protections, and advance women’s empowerment.

The delegation is comprised of the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia Eric Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia Rebecca Zimmerman, U.S. Agency for International Development Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia Anjali Kaur, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Naz El-Khatib.