 Complete the following phrase:  Owing largely to its strategic location and its natural gas supplies, many countries have been loath to pressure Uzbekistan to improve its corruption record. For example, despite his nations high levels of corruption and human-rights violations, Karimov received a warm welcome from the President of the European Commission. Germany has been described as ignoring much of the Uzbek regimes corruption and violations, defying EU sanctions imposed in 2005 after the 