Alumni in Tashkent Meet with the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan

On 15 May 2015 the Uzbekistan chapter of the OSCE Academy alumni met in Tashkent. Twelve alumni of the OSCE Academy’s MA programmes met the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Pamela Spratlen. The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Ambassador György Szabó and Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs of the US Embassy in Uzbekistan Gregory M. Winstead also joined the meeting.  The OSCE Academy’s alumni relations coordinator Victoria Orazova took part on behalf of the Academy.

Ambassador Spratlen welcomed students at the U.S. Embassy and emphasized that the United States strongly supports the OSCE values and its comprehensive security concept. The current crisis in Ukraine highlighted once again the importance of the OSCE, as of one of the most appropriate organizations to facilitate the crisis resolution and monitoring in the field.

Talking of the OSCE Academy, Ambassador Spratlen talked about the important role of the OSCE Academy and its graduates in implementation of the OSCE’s values. “Words are good, but values have to be worked out, and it is the alumni, who should do it,” Ambassador Spratlen emphasized. Given the degree of demand for the Academy’s MA programmes and professional trainings, Ambassador Spratlen reassured the U.S. would continue supporting the OSCE Academy.

The discussion that followed covered various topics, including the impact of the OSCE Academy on personal and professional lives of the graduates, the ways in which the knowledge and experience of the alumni could contribute to the development of Uzbekistan. The meeting was followed by a traditional networking dinner, where alumni of different years met each other, shared their updates and learned the latest about the OSCE Academy.

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