Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The plenary session of the Non-Aligned Movement summit opens in the capital of Azerbaijan. Delegations from 158 countries and international organizations will arrive in Baku to take part in the two-day summit. About 60 countries will be represented at the forum on the level of heads of states and governments.
For the first time in the history of the Movement, the delegation of Uzbekistan will be led by our leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The interconnectedness of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan is based on common history, similarity of cultural and spiritual values, linguistic and ethnic affiliation.
Given these factors, the Republic of Uzbekistan has always prioritized the establishment of strategic relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan. The contemporary history of Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations has been marked by reciprocal official visits of leaders of the two nations and the accelerated development of bilateral political, economic and cultural ties. It is no coincidence that the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev said back in 2003: "The relations between Azerbaijani and Uzbek people have an ancient history, at all times our people were friends, supported each other, together developed cultural values.
The beginning of direct historical ties between the Uzbek and Azerbaijani peoples can be considered the IX-VII centuries BC. At that time Cimmero-Scytho-Sacca tribes, moving from Altai, partially settled on the territory of present Uzbekistan, and then continued their movement into the territory of present Azerbaijan from the north, from the Crimea and the Greater Caucasus Mountains. At that time, on the territories of present-day Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan lived Massagetae tribes, representing a strong military-political union.
The great contribution to the cultural, historical, trade and economic development of the two peoples, which left their imprint on the global civilizational heritage, was made by the Great Silk Road, which served as a bridge between East and West and united the peoples in their quest for peace and cooperation.
In the III century, the Sassanid Empire was formed, which for a certain period included Azerbaijan and part of the territories of Uzbekistan.
By the middle of VII century Arabs incorporated the territory of present Azerbaijan, and by the beginning of VIII century - the territory of present Uzbekistan. The Arab invasion contributed to the spread of Islam, as well as played a certain role in the development of productive forces: the growth of cities; the expansion of trade (including caravan) and handicraft production; increased exchange between urban and rural populations, between farmers and nomads.
In the XI-XII centuries, the peoples of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan were united into a single state of the Seljuk Oguzes. The Seljuk conquests made a significant contribution to changing the demographics of the conquered countries, contributing to their Turkization.
Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations continued to develop during the ascendancy of the Khorezmshakhs-Anushteginids. By the middle of the 12th century, the state of the Khorezmshakhs-Anushteginids (1077-1220) was linked by strategic relations with the state of the Shirvanshakhs (861-1538). The Khorezmshakhs relied on Shirvan, viewing it as their military ally. In spite of the fact that there was a sea between the states, it did not prevent them from establishing trade, political, military and cultural relations.
The second half of the XIV century is characterized by the emergence of Amir Temur on the historical scene, who created a vast empire with its capital in Samarkand.
Amir Temur helped the Azerbaijani ruler of Shirvanshah state Ibrahim I (1382-1417) to struggle against the northern threat - khan of Golden Horde Tokhtamysh who made devastating attacks on Shirvan and Tabriz; he helped to strengthen the constructions of Derbent. Shirvanshah Ibrahim I took part in a campaign of Amir Temur against Tokhtamysh in 1395, took part in the battle on the Terek River, and in the campaign against the Ottoman Empire in 1402.
Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations continued to develop in the 15th century. In December 1420, when Shahrukh (1377-1447), was spending the winter in Karabakh, a number of big feudal lords and rulers came to him to show their loyalty and ask for favors, young Shirvanshah Halilullakh (1417-1465), son of Ibrahim I was among them. Shahrukh, wished to intermarry with Khalilullakh and married him the daughter of Mirza Abu Bakr, son of Miranshah and grandson of Temur.
Mirzo Ulugbek’s first teacher was Hamza bin Malik Tusi, known in historical literature as Arif Azeri.
The relations between the two brotherly peoples continued to strengthen and develop in the following centuries.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the struggle against tsarism united the peoples of Azerbaijan and Turkestan. Since 1912, there were frequent contacts between the two regions in the political sphere. In 1917, a project of "United Bureau of Democratic Forces" was created in Turkestan. An important role in this was played by the Azerbaijani political organizations "Gummet", "Adalet" and "Musavat".
After the February Revolution of 1917, there was a close unity of political forces in Turkestan and Azerbaijan, which together advocated the unification of Turkic Muslims in the struggle for independence. The Turkestan Autonomy and the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan as attempts to create traditions of the first national democratic states in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan became the fruit of unification of Turkic progressive forces.
The close relations between the Uzbek and Azerbaijani peoples continued to strengthen during the Soviet era. At one time, Baku was a forge of human resources for the Turkic peoples of the Union. So graduates of Baku educational institutions, in different years were: academician Vahid Zakhidov, Gairati, Alim Khodjaev, Hamid Hakimov, Yusif Latifov, Hojimurat Abdulla, Khadi Zarifov, Shuhrat, Sabir Rakhimov, Halima Nasyrova, Saifi Alimov, Nazira Alieva, Zuhur Kabulov, Sagdulla Jurabayev, Halima Khodjaeva, Bobo Khodjaev, Karim Yakubov.
The merit of Azerbaijani teachers is also great in the birth of Uzbek professional theater. The works of classics of Azerbaijani literature did not leave the scenes of Uzbek theater for a long time and became a part of the golden fund of national art.
Personal friendship between Gafur Gulyam and Samad Vurgun, Gairati (Abdurahim Abdullayev) and Mikayil Mushfig also played an important role in strengthening Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations.
Maksud Sheikhzade is a symbol of unity between the two fraternal peoples - Azerbaijanis and Uzbeks, an example of genuine "people’s diplomacy". In 1928, Maksud Sheikhzadeh protested against Soviet actions in Southern Dagestan and was exiled to Tashkent. M. Sheikhzadeh began to write poems in Uzbek, for which he was called "the son of Azerbaijan, the Uzbek poet". The play "Jalaliddin Manguberdi", lyric-philosophical poem "Tashkentname", and the tragedy "Mirzo Ulugbek" created by him became a true property of the classic Uzbek literature.
Thousands of soldiers from Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan took part in the anti-fascist struggle. In the Baku Unified Military School was studied from November 1922 to August 1925 Sabir Umarovich Rakhimov (1902-1945), the first general-major of Uzbekistan, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Heydar Aliyev’s friendship with Sharaf Rashidov deserves special attention.
These good traditions are carefully preserved and have their logical continuation in the relationship between the current leaders of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan - Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Ilham Aliyev. In recent years, thanks to the political will of the heads of states, it has been possible to raise the level of Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations, covering a multifaceted sphere of bilateral relations, to a strategic partnership.
Alisher Sabirov PhD in History, MICA
Azer Adigezalov PhD in Historical Sciences, MICA