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Blinken Holds Talks with Central Asian Nations in Wake of Ukraine Anniversary

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev in Astana, Kazakhstan, February 28, 2023. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev in Astana, Kazakhstan, February 28, 2023. (Reuters)
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Blinken Holds Talks with Central Asian Nations in Wake of Ukraine Anniversary

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev in Astana, Kazakhstan, February 28, 2023. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev in Astana, Kazakhstan, February 28, 2023. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Central Asia Tuesday to meet officials from all five former Soviet republics following the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Blinken's visit to the capitals of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is his first to the region as the Biden administration's top diplomat.

The trip comes just days after the Feb. 24 anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, which has tested Moscow's influence in a region that also includes Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Leaders in the region have been emboldened to stand up to Russia by their new-found leverage as Moscow looks to their markets and trade routes in a bid to circumvent Western sanctions.

Blinken will meet the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states in Astana on Tuesday before traveling on to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

US officials say the Biden administration has stepped up engagement with the region in an effort to demonstrate the benefits of US cooperation to countries facing economic fallout from the conflict to the west.

In Astana on Tuesday, Blinken met Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was re-elected in a landslide in November and has pushed back publicly against territorial claims made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

"We have built very good and reliable long-term partnerships in so many strategically important areas like security, energy, trade and investments," Tokayev told Blinken as they met at the imposing presidential palace.

Blinken earlier told Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi that Washington supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Kazakhstan, which won independence from Moscow in 1991.

"Sometimes we just say those words, but they actually have real meaning and of course we know in this particular time they have even more resonance than usual," Blinken said in reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, also a former Soviet republic.

Russia and Kazakhstan share the world's longest continuous land border, prompting concern among some Kazakhs about the security of a country with the second-biggest ethnic Russian population among ex-Soviet republics after Ukraine.

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Tehran Ready for Negotiations with Washington ‘Based on Trust’

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)
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Tehran Ready for Negotiations with Washington ‘Based on Trust’

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. (Jamaran news)

The Iranian government stated on Tuesday that upcoming negotiations in Geneva over its nuclear program will be guided by the directives of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the interests of the Iranian people.

Iran plans to hold talks on Friday in Geneva with France, Britain and Germany, following a recent resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censuring Tehran for its lack of cooperation on its nuclear activities.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed that the meeting between Iran’s deputy foreign minister and representatives from the three European nations will proceed under the framework of “national interests as emphasized by the Supreme Leader.” She noted that discussions will encompass bilateral, regional and international issues, including the crises in Gaza and Lebanon and broader efforts to promote peace in the region.

Asked about the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States, Mohajerani stated that Tehran is “open to considering any proposal aligned with its national interests.” However, she stressed that “dialogue requires respect and trust, which cannot be built through mere rhetoric.”

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs, will lead the Iranian delegation at the Geneva talks, according to Iranian media.

Media outlets close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expressed cautious optimism about the Geneva talks, but tempered expectations. The IRGC-affiliated Nour News described the meeting as a “small but significant opportunity for both sides to find common ground and reduce unnecessary tensions that have strained their relations in recent years.”

Both Iran and its European counterparts appear inclined to pursue de-escalation and resume diplomatic channels to resolve disputes, it reported. Analysts quoted by the site characterized the talks as “an essential step in rebuilding trust between Iran and Europe.” If sustained, these efforts could end the two-year stalemate in negotiations over the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The IAEA’s Board of Governors recently passed a resolution urging Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency. The resolution called for the IAEA Director General to deliver “a comprehensive and updated assessment on the possible presence or use of undeclared nuclear materials in connection with Iran’s past and current nuclear activities.”

Western powers, including the United States, France, Britain and Germany, dismissed Iran’s last-minute proposal to limit its stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium—close to weapons-grade—as “inadequate and insincere.”

In response, Iran announced the activation of advanced centrifuges at its Fordow and Natanz uranium enrichment facilities.

Despite the heightened tensions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei underscored Tehran’s commitment to a policy of engagement and cooperation. He framed the upcoming talks as a continuation of discussions held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Iranian media claimed that Tehran has refrained from actions that could complicate negotiations in recent months. However, they accused European powers of taking “unconstructive measures” that have hindered the diplomatic process.