US diplomat plays down regional fears of Afghanistan instability spreading across Central Asia
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A senior U.S. diplomat has played down concerns among Central Asian governments that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan could foment regional instability.
Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake said Tuesday during a visit to Turkmenistan that the United States will conduct a responsible pullback that ensures security gains made in recent years.
He says U.S. security forces will focus after 2014 on training Afghan troops and continuing the counterterrorism mission.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Blake commended governments in the region for their role in helping rebuild the Afghan economy. He singled out Turkmenistan for praise for supplying electricity to Afghanistan, with which it shares a 750-kilometer (465-mile) frontier.
He was circumspect over Turkmenistan's much-criticized lack of democratic rights, noting only that he urged authorities in talks Tuesday to promote fundamental freedoms.