The USA Journals Volume 03 Issue 07-2021
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The American Journal of Political Science Law and Criminology
(ISSN
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2693-0803)
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July 13, 2021 |
Pages:
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Doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/tajpslc/Volume03Issue07-01
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‘
ABSTRACT
Analyzing the achievements and results of the past period, we can see that cooperation between the
Central Asian states is entering a new stage at a time when multilateral cooperation around the world
is in crisis and mutual trust is declining. In a historically short period, unprecedented progress has been
made in relations between Central Asian states. Most importantly, important and mutually beneficial
agreements have been reached on the use of borders and water resources, which were previously an
obstacle to the development of regional cooperation. At the initiative of our President, new
mechanisms of cooperation have been established. Examples of this are the Consultative Meetings of
Central Asian Heads of State, the establishment of inter-parliamentary groups, the Council for
Cooperation in Border Regions, ministerial and interdepartmental commissions, and investment
funds.
KEYWORDS
Countries of Central Asia, Uzbek diplomacy, close neighbors, UNO (United Nations Organization),
meeting, policy of openness, constructive policy, international conference.
INTRODUCTION
Since 2017, a qualitatively new page has been
opened in Uzbek diplomacy, and it can be said
that the activity of our republic in the
international arena has reached a new level.
The main reason for this is the policy of
openness pursued by the President of our
country Shavkat Mirziyoyev, first of all,
cooperation with our close neighbors, the
countries of Central Asia. In his speech at the
72nd session of the UNO General Assembly, the
Politics In Central Asia
Parvezjon Ismoil Ogli Mamatov
Head Specialist, State Committee On Ecology And Environmental Protection, Tashkent
Regional Administration, Republic Of Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theamericanjou
rnals.com/index.php/ta
jpslc
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
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The American Journal of Political Science Law and Criminology
(ISSN
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Pages:
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head of our state emphasized the priorities for
foreign policy.
For more than a quarter of a century, a number
of problems have arisen between the countries
of Central Asia. These include the use of water
and
energy
resources
and
transport
communications, the delimitation of state
borders, and the crossing of border crossings.
In line with the chosen direction of the new
foreign policy, the head of Uzbekistan has been
conducting a constructive dialogue with the
leaders of the Central Asian countries over the
past three years to jointly resolve pressing
issues of regional security, peace and
tranquility,
sustainable
economic
development.
THE MAIN PART
Located in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan
is an important link between all countries in the
region and a key catalyst for regional
cooperation. As a result of the dialogue that
has taken place in recent years, a completely
new climate of trust has been created in
Central Asia, and relations based on friendship
and good neighborliness are strengthening.
Since 2017, our country has been pursuing an
open foreign policy in all areas for mutually
beneficial cooperation and security in the
region.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev
proposed to hold regular consultative
meetings of Central Asian leaders in November
2017 as an important mechanism for
strengthening regional cooperation and
mutual trust, as well as for the timely
resolution of existing problems, and this
initiative was supported by the countries of the
region. In particular, the first summit of Central
Asian leaders was held on March 15, 2018 in
Astana (now Nur - Sultan). The summit focused
on expanding political, trade, economic and
humanitarian cooperation, joint fight against
terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and
arms smuggling, strengthening security and
stability. It was recognized that Central Asia is
not only a geographical and geopolitical, but
also a unique cultural and civilizational space.
On June 22, 2018, the UNO Assembly adopted a
resolution on "Strengthening regional and
international cooperation to ensure peace,
stability and sustainable development in the
Central Asian region", initiated by President
Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The document was co-
authored by 55 countries in Europe, the
Americas, Asia and Africa, and the resolution
was unanimously supported by all UNO
member states. The resolution recognizes the
important role of the Central Asian states in
ensuring peace and sustainable development
in the region, as well as in strengthening
regional
and
international
cooperation.
Welcoming the initiatives of Central Asian
leaders to hold regular consultative meetings,
the resolution calls for the effective use of such
a consultative platform to jointly address
pressing issues in the region.
The document states that the General
Assembly will support the efforts and
initiatives of Central Asian states to strengthen
stability and economic cooperation in the
region.
On November 29, 2019 in Tashkent was held
the second consultation meeting of the heads
of Central Asian countries. The Presidents of
Central Asian countries discussed the issues of
use of cross-border water, development of
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transport infrastructure, border regulation and
regional security. The consultation meeting
held
in
Tashkent
demonstrated
that
Uzbekistan continues to follow the path of
renewal and regional cooperation
1
.
One of the important practical steps in the
implementation of the initiatives put forward
by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev from the rostrum of the
72
nd
session of the UNO Assembly is the Central
Asia: One Past and One Future, Sustainable
Development
and
Mutual
Assistance.
Partnership for Prosperity. It was attended by
delegations led by Central Asian foreign
ministers, high-ranking official delegations
from the CIS, Europe, Asia and the Americas,
heads of more than 10 international
organizations, as well as more than 100 foreign
experts and media representatives. At the
conference, the President of Uzbekistan
proposed the establishment of associations of
governors and business circles of the Central
Asian border areas. This initiative is currently
reflected in the development of interregional
cooperation in border areas.
To ensure security and stability in Central Asia,
Uzbekistan is actively involved in resolving the
conflict in neighboring Afghanistan. Significant
agreements
on
mutually
beneficial
cooperation have been signed with this
country, and practical work on new economic
projects is underway. Pacific Afghanistan gives
Central Asian countries access to ports in the
Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, and
1
Press service of the President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan https://president.uz/oz/3093
2
Press service of the President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan https://president.uz/oz/3093
3
The Tashkent Declaration: A Political Document for
Peace, Stability and Development in Afghanistan. It
connects Central and South Asia with European
markets in a cheaper and more convenient
way.
To stabilize the situation in Afghanistan, a high-
level Tashkent international conference on
"Peace Process, Security Cooperation and
Regional Partnership" was held on March 27,
2018 at the initiative of President Shavkat
Mirziyoyev. President of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan Muhammad Ashraf Ghani, UN
Special
Representative
for
Afghanistan
Tadamiti Yamamoto, as well as the United
States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France,
Turkey, Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan,
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia and heads of
foreign ministries of the United Arab Emirates,
representatives
of
25
countries
and
international organizations
2
. Following the
conference, the Tashkent Declaration
3
was
signed. This document embodies the noble
goals of ensuring peace and security in the
region, strengthening cooperation in all areas,
and further expanding good neighborly
relations.
For many years, most checkpoints between
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan were
closed to the public. There were also a number
of serious problems with the delimitation and
demarcation of state borders. During the state
visit of the President of Uzbekistan to
Kyrgyzstan, an agreement on the state border
between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan was
signed on September 5, 2017. In addition, on
was signed at the Tashkent High-Level International
Conference
on
"Peace
Process,
Security
Cooperation and Regional Partnership" on March
27, 2018, initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan.
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March 9, 2018, Uzbekistan signed an
agreement with Tajikistan on delimitation and
demarcation of borders. As a result of the
implementation
of
these
important
documents, all restrictions at border crossings
with neighboring countries have been lifted.
Agreements on delimitation and demarcation
of borders signed with Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan will create favorable conditions for
the development of economic cooperation and
cross-border trade, increase the volume of
mutual trade and, most importantly, the
movement of citizens living in border areas. In
particular, if five years ago the Uzbek-Kyrgyz
border was crossed by 200-300 people a day,
today this figure exceeds 30,000. Following the
signing of the agreement with Tajikistan, all 17
previously closed border checkpoints became
operational. Today, 20,000 people cross the
Uzbek-Tajik border every day.
Thanks to the open and constructive policy of
the President of Uzbekistan, a compromise
was reached on the issue of the territory
bordering the state borders between
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
The agreement was signed in November 2017
in Samarkand as part of a high-level
international conference on Central Asia.
Another strategically important area of
regional cooperation is the development of
trade and economic ties. At the initiative of
Uzbekistan, the Central Asian Economic Forum
was held on March 15, 2018 in Tashkent with
the participation of Deputy Prime Ministers of
the region. Representatives of more than 200
government agencies, business circles of
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan
and
Turkmenistan, attended the forum. The forum
participants discussed issues of expanding
investment cooperation, promoting regional
trade, as well as increasing the attractiveness
of tourism, transport and transit capacity.
During the meetings, it was noted that the
trade turnover between the Central Asian
countries increased by more than 35%
compared to 2017 and amounted to 12.2 billion
dollars, but the economic potential of the
countries in the region is not yet fully used. In
order to improve the investment climate and
attract more foreign investors, President of
Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev initiated the
establishment of an investment forum for
Central Asian countries at the Second
Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of
the region.
At the same time, the President's annual
address emphasizes environmental security,
rational use of water and other natural
resources, the Aral Sea problem and the
consequences of environmental degradation.
As a practical implementation of the initiative
of the President of Uzbekistan at the 72nd
session of the UNO General Assembly, the
United Nations Multilateral Trust Fund for
Human Security was established in the Aral Sea
region. The presentation of the Foundation
took place on November 27, 2018 at the UNO
Headquarters in New York. In his speech to the
deputies of the Oliy Majlis on January 24, 2018,
the President reiterated the importance of the
Foundation's activities. In October 2019, at an
international conference dedicated to the
solution of the Aral Sea problem in Nukus, the
President initiated the declaration of the Aral
Sea region as a zone of ecological innovation
and technology and the adoption of a special
resolution of the UNO General Assembly.
Consistent work is underway to implement this
initiative.
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Cultural and humanitarian cooperation plays an
important role in the development of
cooperation between the Central Asian states.
The countries of the region have a common
history and common culture. They have similar
traditions, values, and a common religion.
Therefore, Uzbekistan is taking a number of
initiatives to strengthen cultural and good-
neighborly relations. In particular, at the
Second Consultative Meeting of the Heads of
State of the region, Shavkat Mirziyoyev
proposed to hold university forums and
regional sports games, as well as to establish
the Central Asian Prize for outstanding
achievements in science, culture and art.
“Every year, on the eve of Navruz, we consider
it important to organize Days of Central Asian
Culture in each country. All this will bring our
brotherly peoples closer”
4
, - the President said.
As a practical implementation of this initiative,
2018 has been declared the Year of Uzbekistan
in Kazakhstan. It has hosted more than 80
cultural and sporting events, film days and
various festivals.
During the talks of the Second Summit of the
Heads of State of the region, the President of
Uzbekistan also put forward an initiative to
hold an international tourism conference and
create a single tourism brand in Central Asia.
Uzbekistan, which shares a common border
with all Central Asian states, is undoubtedly
interested in transforming the region into a
region of stability, sustainable development
and good neighborliness. Addressing all-
important
issues
of
our
country's
development, from the security of our borders
4
From the speech of the President Shavkat
Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the 2nd
Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Leaders
to the rational allocation of water resources, is
closely linked with our region. Economically
developed and secure Central Asia is a key goal
for Uzbekistan. Major regional projects in the
field of transport, communications and energy
cannot be implemented without active
cooperation with neighboring countries and
ensuring their high level of integration.
Moreover, Central Asia is not only a
geographical and geopolitical, but also a
unique cultural space with common values. The
peoples living in the region are united by
common spiritual values and a past, similar
national traditions and customs, a mentality
formed over the centuries. This partnership is a
solid and reliable foundation for regional
cooperation.
H. Fraser, UNO resident coordinator and UNO
permanent representative of the development
program in Uzbekistan He stressed that it is a
guarantee
of
further
prosperity
and
sustainable development of Uzbekistan, but
also the whole of Central Asia. In this regard,
the UNO fully supports Uzbekistan's efforts to
strengthen regional cooperation.
On December 29, President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the
Oliy Majlis. Due to its relevance and strategic
importance, the address of the head of our
state arouses great interest and heated
discussions among political experts today.
In his address, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
emphasized that Central Asia is a priority of the
foreign policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The development of regional cooperation in
Central Asia is always in the focus of the head
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of our state, which can be seen in the proposals
and initiatives put forward by the President on
regional issues from the highest tribunes of
influential
regional
and
international
organizations.
It is important to emphasize the important
aspects of the President's address to the Oliy
Majlis, emphasizing once again that Central
Asia is a priority of our foreign policy.
Firstly,
Uzbekistan is an integral and closely
linked part of the Central Asian region.
Uzbekistan is the only country in the region
bordering all the countries of Central Asia, that
is, any political, economic and cultural changes
in a region have a direct impact on Uzbekistan.
In addition, the implementation of major
projects in the field of transport, economy,
energy and water depends on the level of
cooperation between the countries of the
region. In this regard, the main goal of the
Republic of Uzbekistan is the sustainable
development and prosperity of Central Asia.
Secondly
, we all know that Central Asia is a
geostrategic region. This is because the region
is located in a convenient geographical area, at
the crossroads of important regional and
international transport corridors, rich in natural
resources, and on the other hand, borders
Central Asia, CIS and Asia, which play an
important role in international relations. In
other words, Central Asia is a region where the
interests of the world's leading countries
intersect.
The above factors reaffirm that security and
stability in the region can only be achieved
through cooperation based on mutual
understanding and interests. This, in turn,
demonstrates that Uzbekistan's brand new
regional policy, based on the principles of
openness, good neighborliness, strategic
partnership, mutual trust and rational
settlement of existing problems, serves as an
important
guarantee
of
stability
and
sustainable development in Central Asia.
Thirdly
, the President's Address to the
Parliament raises the issue of further
strengthening the centuries-old friendly
relations with Central Asian countries,
reaffirms
Uzbekistan's
commitment
to
sustainable
development
of
regional
cooperation and long-term cooperation with
neighboring countries based on mutual
interest and trust.
The head of our state Shavkat Mirziyoyev, after
his election as president, made a speech at the
joint meeting of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis
dedicated to the opening ceremony of the post
of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on
December 14, 2016 on the fact that the
development of cooperation with the
countries of Central Asia.
The political environment in Central Asia,
formed as a result of the new regional policy of
Uzbekistan, today makes an important
contribution to the unlocking of the huge
economic potential of the region. As a
confirmation of the above, we can see the
increase in foreign trade turnover and
investment in Central Asia, as well as the
number of tourists.
In particular, the volume of foreign trade
turnover of the countries of the region in 2019
amounted to 168.2 billion, an increase of 56%
compared to 2016. The volume of investments
attracted to the countries of the region in 2019
increased by 40% compared to 2016 and
amounted to 37.6 billion. The number of
tourists visiting Central Asian countries is also
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growing from year to year. As an example, the
number of tourists visiting the countries of the
region in 2019 increased by 93% compared to
2016 and amounted to 18.4 million people.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we were
able to see the importance of regional
cooperation in ensuring the security and
stability of nations. In recent years, Central
Asian states have been able to pursue
coordinated anti-pandemic policies in a short
period as a result of the new political
environment in the region.
As a result, the exchange of information and
experience in the field of medicine in the fight
against the coronavirus during the pandemic,
the provision of mutual humanitarian
assistance, the establishment of a continuous
movement of goods across borders. This has
led to a lower incidence of coronavirus
infections and deaths in the region than in any
other country in the world. In particular, as of
December 29, the number of people infected
with the coronavirus in Central Asia was
375,000, or 0.5% of the world's total. The death
rate from coronavirus was 1.7 percent,
compared to 2.1 percent worldwide. In short,
regional cooperation has reaffirmed that it is
an important guarantee of overcoming
modern threats.
The newspaper named after “Московский
комсомолец” notes that Uzbekistan's role and
importance in Russia's Central Asian policy is
growing. The commentator of newspaper
Sergei Valchenko wrote, “Uzbekistan has one
of the highest economic growth rates in the
region. Naturally, almost all foreign countries
5
The newspaper named after “Московский
комсомолец”.
https://www.mk.ru/daily/newspaper/
are interested in this country. President
Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid a successful visit to
Washington in May this year, the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development
approved
multibillion-dollar
investment
projects, and the Investment Forum, which is
expected in November, will be a competitive
platform for the Uzbek market”
5
.
CONCLUSION
In the conclusion, it can be concluded that the
Republic of Uzbekistan is making consistent
efforts to develop not only the country but also
the entire region. Cooperation between the
countries of Central Asia on the basis of equal
partnership and solidarity in all areas has a
positive impact on the development of the
region. Today, a completely new, constructive
political environment has emerged in Central
Asia, and favorable conditions have been
created to solve the most pressing problems,
such as the rational use of cross-border Water
Resources, the delimitation and demarcation
of borders, the crossing of border punches, the
development of cross-border trade.
All this can be considered as a result of the
consistent foreign policy of Uzbekistan and
Central Asia over the past three years for the
development of close and mutually beneficial
neighborly relations, as well as a great
achievement
of
independent
Uzbek
diplomacy.
From this point of view, it is no exaggeration to
say that the regional cooperation, which is
developing today on the initiative and efforts
of our President, has opened a new page in the
relations between the Central Asian states. The
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President's address to the Oliy Majlis
reaffirmed that Central Asia is a priority of our
foreign policy, which shows that Uzbekistan is
mobilizing all its capabilities and potential to
further strengthen cooperation with the
countries of the region.
REFERENCES
1.
Speech of the President of the
Republic
of
Uzbekistan
Shavkat
Mirziyoyev at the 72nd session of the
UN General Assembly.
2.
Address of the President of the
Republic
of
Uzbekistan
Shavkat
Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis on
December 29, 2020.
3.
Address of the President of the
Republic
of
Uzbekistan
Shavkat
Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis on
December 24, 2018.
4.
Mendkovich N.Russkij jazyk v Srednej
Azii
i
na
Juzhnom
Kavkaze
[Mendkovich N. The Russian language
in Central Asia and Caucus ]//URL:
http://www.centrasia.ru/newsA.php?st
=1361478180-22.02.2013.
5.
https://yuz.uz/uz/news/ozbekistonning
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barqaror-va-izchil-rivojlanishining-
muhim-garovi?view=markaziy-osiyo--
jahon-tsivilizatsiyalari-chorrahasida-
anjumani--mintaqaning-xalqaro-
hamjamiyatidagi-ornini-oshirishda-
muhim-strategik-qadamlaridan-biridir.
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https://xs.uz/uz/post/rossiyalik-
ekspertlar-markazij-osiyodagi-
geosiyosij-vaziyat-ozbekistonning-
dadil-qadami-bilan-mutlaqo-yangicha-
tus-kasb-etmoqda.
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The
newspaper
named
after
“Московский
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