In an exclusive interview with Voice of America's Uzbek Service, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon says that peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan are crucial for the future of South and Central Asia. As the US representative to the recent Tashkent conference on the future of Afghanistan, Shannon argues that governments in the region well understand this. The challenge now, then, is less how to fight the war than how to end it in an enduring way. Washington views Uzbekistan as an emerging leader in pushing for a peace deal in Afghanistan. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's actions, Shannon says, are "radiating very positively.” And Washington is determined to support reforms in Uzbekistan too.
