Ashgabat, 17 June 2010 – The UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Mr. Lenni Montiel, met with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Mr. Michael Posner, at the UN House in Ashgabat on June 16. He was accompanied by Ms Janice Helwig, Policy Advisor of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Ms Kathleen Crowley, Foreign Affairs Officer for Near East and South/Central Asia of the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Mr. Michael Posner was on a visit to Turkmenistan as part of the U.S. delegation attending the first round of the bilateral Turkmen-American political consultations.

The UN Resident Coordinator briefed the visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State on the activities of the UN system in Turkmenistan, including in the area of promoting and protecting human rights. Mr. Lenni Montiel especially emphasized UNDP’s ongoing cooperation with the European Union, including within the framework of the EU/UNDP/OHCHR joint project of “Strengthening the National Capacity of Turkmenistan to Protect and Promote Human Rights” as well as EU’s regional Border Operation Management programme for Central Asia.