Russia ally Uzbekistan calls for swift halt to Ukraine conflict

TASHKENT, March 17 (Reuters) – Uzbekistan, a Central Asian republic with shut ties to Russia, referred to as on Thursday for a diplomatic decision of the battle in Ukraine and stated it will not recognise Moscow-backed separatist statelets there.

Within the strongest anti-war assertion to return from Russia’s former Soviet allies to date, Uzbek International Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov instructed parliament that whereas Tashkent needed to keep up good relations with each Moscow and Kyiv, it opposed the warfare.

“First, Uzbekistan is critically involved by the scenario round Ukraine,” he stated.

“Second, we’re the proponents of discovering a peaceable answer to this case and resolving the battle by means of political and diplomatic means. However to be able to do this, to start with, hostilities and violence should cease instantly.”

Uzbekistan’s financial system depends closely on exports to Russia in addition to remittances from Uzbeks working in Russia. It turned an observer in a Russia-led financial bloc in 2020, though it has stayed out of the same post-Soviet army bloc.

None of Russia’s different Central Asian allies that have been within the previous Moscow-dominated Soviet Union has backed the invasion both, though they’ve been much less simple in talking towards it.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated final week “all nations should strictly adhere to the norms and rules of the constitution of the United Nations” and “new diplomatic alternatives have to be sought to resolve the battle scenario peacefully”.

Each Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have stated they would supply humanitarian assist to Ukraine.

Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov
Writing by Olzhas Auyezov
Enhancing by Mark Heinrich

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