Prime Minister Meets with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Tuesday, December 4, 2001 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with Prime Minister Utkir Tukhtamuradovich Sultanov of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Prime Minister Koizumi said he highly appreciated Uzbekistan in support of the military action by the United States in Afghanistan, and pointed out that Uzbekistan would have an important role to play in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. In response, Prime Minister Sultanov expressed his support for an international ministerial-level meeting for rebuilding Afghanistan to be hosted by Japan in January 2002, adding he expected Japan's leadership on the matter and calling for the continuance of Japan's economic assistance to Uzbekistan.