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Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of Uzbekistan, met Donald Trump on May 16, 2018 at the White House, being the first Uzbekistan president to officially visit the United States since March 2002.Since the death of Islam Karimov, the leaders of Uzbekistan have been more willing to pursue liberal policies. Mirziyoyev ordered the release of Bobomurod Abdullayev on May 7, a journalist who had written articles critical of the government and was arrested for attempting a coup in Uzbekistan. His shift towards the United States aligns with his goal of transforming Uzbekistan’s economy, knowing that he needs the support of the US to obtain the necessary loans from international financial institutions to fund the transformation. Additionally, Mirziyoyev wants the United States to follow its foreign policy towards Afghanistan of increasing the efficiency of the Afghan national security. With US support, Uzbekistan can more effectively fight terrorism and drug trafficking.