Uzbekistan will never be anyone’s colony. This statement was made by Oliy Majlis Senate Chairperson Tanzila Narbayeva at a meeting with youth on December 25, as reported by a correspondent from Gazeta.uz.
“You see different statements on the internet: ‘Let's do this to Uzbekistan, let’s do that.' Uzbekistan will never be anyone’s colony. You are aware of that, there is no need for me to elaborate on it. You all have it in your hearts,” the head of the upper house of parliament asserted.
Last week, Zakhar Prilepin, co-chairman of A Just Russia party, suggested that Uzbekistan and other former Soviet territories should be “accessed” to Russia. The remark faced sharp condemnation from the public in Uzbekistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Uzbekistan invited Oleg Malginov, the Russian ambassador in Tashkent. MFA communicated to him that Prilepin’s statement was deliberately provocative and could have adversely affected the relations between the peoples of the two countries. Soon afterwards, Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova declared that Prilepin’s expression “does not even remotely reflect the official position of the Russian Federation.”
On Friday, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated at a meeting of the Republican center for spirituality and enlightenment: “We are witnessing powerful world centers, which once used to protect their goals and interests through diplomacy and politics, now resorting to open pressure, confrontation and conflicts.”
Addressing the youth, Tanzila Narbayeva brought up the significance of studying endeavors pursued by the Jadids, who were representatives of the socio-political enlightenment movement in the early last century.
“Our ancestors emphasized the importance of aligning our thoughts with our actions. The Jadids advocated for pursuing enlightenment, modern science, and contemporary professions,” she noted.
“For many years, they were forgot. Now, thanks to the actions of our esteemed president, they are coming to light,” Tanzila Narbayeva commented.
Speaking about Jadids during the aforementioned meeting, President Mirzoyoyev expressed, “Like water and air, we need mature personnel, brought up like our grandfathers-Jadids, in the spirit of Western achievements of science and national values.”
