Editing Foreign relations of Uzbekistan (section)

==Finland==
In 2006, [[Antti Turunen]], head of the [[Finnish Foreign Ministry]]'s [[Eastern Europe]]an and [[Central Asia]]n department, led a [[European Union]] fact-finding mission to [[Tashkent]], [[Uzbekistan]].  The Uzbek deputy foreign minister had indicated that the [[Uzbek government]] was interested in talks with the EU during a visit to [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]] in June 2006, just before [[Finland]] assumed the EU presidency. ''[[Radio Free Europe]]'' journalists spoke to Turunen on September 1. Turunen's visit to Uzbekistan was the first EU visit since October, when sanctions were imposed after the [[Uzbek government]] refused to allow an international investigation into the [[Andijan massacre]].<ref name=UZBEK>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1071019.html|title=Uzbekistan: EU Officials Hold Talks In Tashkent|website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=2021-07-13|archive-date=2021-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713141056/https://www.rferl.org/a/1071019.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Clarence Moore House.JPG|thumb|[[Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington, D.C.]]]]
Turunen said that the visit went smoothly and that [[Uzbek Foreign Minister]] [[Vladimir Norov]] offered a warm reception. The EU delegation met with officials from the Justice Ministry, the Attorney General's office, and Uzbek parliament members. He stressed that the real issue for the EU was the Uzbek government's response to the Andijan massacre and [[human rights]] abuses.<ref name=UZBEK/> He said [[Russia-Uzbek relations]] and possible EU development of Uzbek energy reserves were not directly discussed but that EU investment might be possible in this area.<ref name=UZBEK/>