WARSAW, 17 July 2009 - The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, will be in Tashkent next week for talks on how ODIHR can assist the authorities in implementing Uzbekistan's international commitments. 

As all OSCE participating States, Uzbekistan has undertaken to implement a far-reaching catalogue of commitments related to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

During the two-day visit starting on Monday, Lenarcic will meet Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov, the Speaker of the Lower Chamber of Parliament, Dilorom Tashmukhamedova and the Director of the National Centre for Human Rights, Akmal Saidov, as well as members of the Central Election Committee and civil society representatives.

He will also speak at a roundtable meeting on political and economic reforms in Uzbekistan, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

Following the visit to Uzbekistan, Lenarcic will travel to Kyrgyzstan where ODIHR has deployed an election observation mission to monitor the 23 July presidential election.