2005 Press Releases
Director of State Department Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs Visits Turkmenistan
June 8, 2005
John G. Fox, director of the U.S. State Department’s office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs, is in Turkmenistan June 8, 2005, he also will visit Kyrgyzstan. At his meetings with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Gyuchnazar Tachnazarov, Mr. Fox emphasized the need to improve Turkmenistan's human rights and religious freedom record, as well as regional cooperation, oil and gas issues and joint efforts in the fight against terrorism. Mr. Fox also met with alumni of U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs, representatives of civil society groups, and religious community leaders.
Mr. Fox noted that his meetings with Turkmen Government officials were an opportunity to raise issues of bilateral interest. "My meetings gave me an opportunity to discuss issues of particular concern to the U.S. Government, including human rights, access to prisoners by the International Society of the Red Cross and freedom of religion," said the director of the U.S. State Department’s office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs. "The United States is interested in cooperating in a wide range of issues to support democratic reform, economic prosperity and security in Turkmenistan." Mr. Fox welcomed several positive steps taken by Turkmenistan in recent months, including registration of five religious groups, signing international agreements on nuclear safeguards, the fight against terrorism, and trafficking in persons.
John Fox became the director of the U.S. State Department’s office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs in July 2003. Before that, he served as deputy political counselor in Moscow (2001-2003) and chief of the political-external section in Moscow (2000-2001). From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Fox was the chief of the political-economic section at the American Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. From 1992 to 1996, he served in the political section of the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels. From 1990 to 1992, he served in a variety of positions connected with the crisis in Somalia. Before that, he worked as an analyst in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1988-1990). His first tour in the Foreign Service was as economics-commercial officer at the American Embassy in Cotonou, Benin. Before joining the Foreign Service in 1985, Mr. Fox worked in the private sector in Lagos, Nigeria (1983-1985); for the United Nations in Vienna, Austria (1981-1983); and as a senior research physicist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. (1973-1981). He holds a master’s degree from the University of Virginia, as well as the National War College. Mr. Fox speaks French, Russian, and German.
