On February 17–18 Robert O. Blake, US Assistant State Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs led a delegation of the U. S. officials and representatives from leading U. S. firms to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. On February 17, 2010 officials of the delegation and Uzbek counterparts had a second round of the U.S.–Uzbekistan Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABCs), launched in December 2009 in Washington. Assistant Secretary Blake also met with government officials, civil society representatives, students, and the media.