Comments on UN General Assembly Central Asia Resolution (part 5)

For the first time in recent history, the standing of Central Asian nations has been consolidated as actors of world politics. According to experts, this owes largely to the open and constructive foreign policy of Uzbekistan, whose most critical priority today is to boost regional cooperation.

Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Samil Ayrim:

— The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, from the first days of his leadership of the country, identified the development of constructive, mutually beneficial and good-neighborly relations with the states of Central Asia, strengthening of security in this part of the world as a priority of his foreign policy.

Uzbekistan’s leader presented his strategic vision of ensuring regional security and stability to the world community at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2017. Later, in November that same year, during the Samarkand Conference “Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity”, the President of Uzbekistan proposed a comprehensive program of joint efforts at the regional and international levels to secure lasting peace and stability in the Central Asia. At this historic conference, Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed the elaboration of a special resolution of the UN General Assembly in support of the efforts of Central Asian states to ensure security and bolster regional cooperation.

Uzbekistan has demonstrated its ability to create all necessary conditions for the timely implementation of this initiative, and on June 22, 2018, the UN General Assembly at its general session adopted a resolution titled “Strengthening regional and international cooperation for ensuring peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region”. The document, drafted by Uzbekistan jointly with its neighbors in the region, was unanimously supported by all UN member nations. It is gratifying that Turkey not only initially supported this initiative, but also co-authored the draft submitted to the UN General Assembly for consideration.

The essence and substance of the resolution demonstrates, firstly, the significant success of the Uzbek diplomacy, and, second, the positive dynamics in the growing cooperation in the region, third, it uplifts the role and importance of Central Asia in the world, including its international recognition as a formed single region. From this point of view, the adoption of this document is a very important event, the essence and significance of which will need to be taken into account in devising medium- and long-term strategies for Central Asia.

In fact, it can be stated that this is the beginning of a new era in the formation of a modern Central Asian identity, a single regional space for security and prosperity.

UzA