Blinken Meets Top Tajik, Uzbek Diplomats, With Afghanistan In Sharp Focus July 02, 2021 05:34 GMT Updated July 02, 2021 08:59 GMT Share share Print WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the top diplomats of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on July 1, with Afghanistan high on the agenda as U.S. forces prepare to exit the war-torn country and Washington seeks Central Asian partners. The meetings in Washington come as the Taliban has taken control of dozens of districts in recent weeks, raising concerns that the Western-backed government in Kabul and Afghan security forces may collapse. The Taliban sweep across northern Afghanistan has put several districts bordering Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the militants' hands, presenting a possible security threat to the two Central Asian countries.