Kerry to prod Central Asian nations on rights amid IS threat
Secretary of State John Kerry is hoping to prod the former Soviet republics of Central Asia toward greater democracy and respect for human rights, as the five nations work to snuff out sympathy in the region for militant Islamic groups.
Kerry began a five-day visit on Saturday in Kyrgyzstan, where he met the president and foreign minister. Kerry wants the country to prevent its citizens from joining extremist groups abroad. They are among the foreign fighters who have joined the Islamic State group.
Kerry's discussions with all five Central Asian governments in Uzbekistan on Sunday will focus on security, economic and human rights issues. He'll then visit Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. He is the first secretary of state to travel to all five Central Asian countries on a single trip.
