By R. Ravichandran
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 (NNN-Bernama) — Since Uzbekistan’s independence in 1991, its political role and status in the Central Asian region and in the international arena has increased gradually but significantly.
From the beginning, Uzbekistan – a landlocked country of some 34 million people – attached importance to an open, pragmatic and constructive foreign policy, strengthening close friendly relations and cooperation with all progressive countries.
In the context of “Central Asian spirit”, significant progress were made in relations with neighbouring countries – visa issues resolved, borders with neighbouring countries are opened, and people began travelling freely from one country to another.
All these developments, especially since President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in December 2016, helped move forward the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties at an accelerated pace.
“It will not be an exaggeration to say that over a historically short period of time, Central Asia has turned into a single space for mutually beneficial cooperation with a dynamically developing trade, investment, transport and communication potential,” pointed out Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Malaysia Ravshan Usmanov.
Usmanov said this when posed with a question on how Uzbekistan perceives its role on the international stage in a rapidly changing regional and global geopolitics.
He said this in an interview with Bernama in conjunction with Uzbekistan’s 30th independence anniversary. Uzbekistan declared its independence on August 31, 1991, but Sept 1 is proclaimed as National Independence Day.
Uzbekistan, a country with an economy based on mining, natural gas and agriculture, is surrounded by five countries – Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south and Turkmenistan to the south-west.
The ongoing developments in Afghanistan and its takeover by Taliban forced Uzbekistan as well other neighbouring countries to face a new geopolitical reality, especially on the security front. In this context, Usmanov said Tashkent, as the closest neighbour of Afghanistan, is interested in the early establishment of peace and stability in that country.
Before the Taliban takeover, there were talks of a new rail line linking Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and to seaports in Pakistan. Uzbekistan is one of two double landlocked countries in the world, and thus affordable access to seaports means a lot to the country’s economic development and connectivity.
Elaborating on some of Uzbekistan’s constructive regional initiatives, Usmanov said that in 2017, Mirziyoyev initiated a regular Consultative Meeting of the Heads of the Central Asian States as a platform for constructive discussion and coordinated solution to common problems of the countries in the region. The first meeting was held in 2018 in Kazakhstan, the second in 2019 in Uzbekistan, and the third one in Turkmenistan in Aug 2021.
With its far-sighted policy, Uzbekistan has become an active participant in the political processes in the region and in the world. Cooperation with organisations – such as the United Nations (UN), the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Islamic Cooperation Organisation – has risen to a new level.
For the first time in its history, Uzbekistan was elected a member of the UN Human Rights Council for 2021-2023. The country, a member of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, also gained an observer status at the Eurasian Economic Union.
Usmanov said last year, his country chaired the CIS for the first time and all international events envisaged within the CIS were successfully held despite the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is the chair of the SCO for 2021-2022.
“Uzbekistan is playing an increasingly important role in enhancing the processes of integration and cooperation. At the international conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities” on 15-16 July 2021, our country has advanced new proposals and initiatives, which aroused interest not only in the states of these regions, but also in the world community. In particular, the issues of creating new transport corridors connecting Central Asia with the Indian Ocean were discussed,” he explained.
In line with changing global geopolitics, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Policy Concept is currently being improved.
“This important document pays special attention to strengthening the centuries-long ties of friendship and good-neighbourliness, strategic partnership, and mutual trust. The multifaceted and mutually beneficial relations with main foreign partners of Uzbekistan such as Russia, China, the United States of America, Turkey, Germany, France, Britain, South Korea, Japan, India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and other states are further expanding,” Usmanov said.
The ambassador recalled that Uzbekistan has put forward initiatives on various issues at the international arena, such as on spiritual and educational issues, and its initiative at the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to adopt the resolution “Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance” received broad support from the international community and was recently adopted.
He pointed out that Uzbekistan also play a constructive role in addressing environmental problems. In this regard, Uzbekistan is working resolutely to mitigate the impact of environmental disasters resulting from the destruction of the Aral Sea.
“On 1,000 hectares of the dried bottom of the sea, the forests and shrubs are being created. An important role in this is played by the activities of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan, jointly created with the UN,” he said.
On Uzbekistan’s initiative of a special resolution at the UNGA – declaring the Aral Sea Region a zone of environmental innovations and technologies – the ambassador said it was unanimously approved by the Assembly on May 18, 2021.
“Countries such as the US, Russia, China, Turkey and Malaysia took part in the development of this resolution, and in all 50 countries acted as its co-authors, which indicates that this initiative has aroused enormous interest in the world community, Usmanov said.
— NNN-BERNAMA
