Opinion of MPs of Legislative Chamber on visit of UN chief to Uzbekistan

Thanks to reforms, conducted under guidance of the President of Uzbekistan, the authority of Uzbekistan is growing in international arena along with interest to the country and its history. One of such examples is effective cooperation between Uzbekistan and the UN, which develop gradually in such spheres as strengthening and security, healthcare, ecology, education, culture, tourism and others.

Peaceful policy of Uzbekistan, its efforts on ensuring security and stability in the region are in tune with the activities of the UN. In particular, within the participation at the UN summits, Islam Karimov put forward important initiatives of keeping peace and stability, turning Central Asian region into zone of security and sustainable development. Initiative on creation of nuclear free zone in Central Asia is one of such key initiatives. All these initiatives highly appreciated at the international community. I proudly listed words of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the meeting with Islam Karimov on 12 June on active participation of Uzbekistan at multilateral discussions within the UN and contribution of Uzbekistan in solving regional and global issues.

Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals takes important place in the activities of the UN, which served as comprehensive guide to all States. In this context, it should be stressed that UzLiDeP attaches important attention to effective use of the opportunities of Parliament and deputies, other possible mechanisms for the implementation of the foreign policy priorities of Uzbekistan. By signing the Millennium Declaration in 2000, our country has committed itself to achieving the MDGs.

It is worth to mention that Uzbekistan, despite all difficulties connected with unsustainable global economy, achieved balance between important key development goals. In particular, Uzbekistan ensured economic growth based on structural reforms and improved well-being of all layers of population.

It is generally recognized that Uzbekistan has made significant progress in achieving the MDGs: the rule of law and protection of human rights, protection of motherhood and childhood, improving the education system, which are the result of sustainable and people-oriented socio-economic reforms.

Overall, the meeting of Islam Karimov and Ban Ki-moon showed that, in one hand, UN is interested in further strengthening of cooperation with Uzbekistan, and in other hand, Uzbekistan is ready to gradual development of effective cooperation, including in achieving MDGs by the end of 2015 and Sustainable Development Goals, paying attention to close partnership relations with the UN and its agencies.

The second important conclusion is that the role of the UN should be increased due to grave concern of the growth of radicalization of conflict and violence, strengthening political and economic confrontations, ongoing global financial crisis. In an increasingly difficult situation in the world, Uzbekistan considers the UN as the only universal international organization for the maintenance of global security and stability, a unique structure to address the many complex inter-state and international issues.

Tulqin Karimov, member of the UzLiDeP at Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan:

An official visit of the UN Secretary General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to Uzbekistan gave good opportunity to continue fruitful dialogue and exchange opinion on issues of strengthening mutual beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and UN, including in such directions as proliferation of nuclear weapon, sustainable socio-economic development, combating international terrorism and drug trafficking, rational use of water resources and others.

Analyzing the course of the meeting let’s highlight such topics as settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and its restoration, solving environmental problems, which touches interests of the electorate UzLiDeP. For example, the election program of the UzLiDeP indicates importance of addressing the Afghan problem through peaceful means, ensuring respect for national customs, culture and religious values of the multinational and multi-confessional people of Afghanistan. Locsl and international experts agree that Uzbekistan as a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan provided the country broad support in order to achieve stability in the country. Uzbekistan, with the support of international financial institutions, in particular, the ADB, is implementing projects for the construction of transport communications, provides electricity to the population of Afghanistan and delivers humanitarian aid.

Great attention was also paid to one of global ecologic catastrophes of modern time – drying of Aral Sea, water area which decreased more than 4-fold since 1965, while water salinity rose 10 times. Global negative phenomenon shows that without joint efforts and close cooperation with the United Nations to solve the existing socio-economic problems of the population of the Aral Sea region is impossible. In this context, we emphasize the importance of effective implementation of the programme of measures on elimination of the consequences of the drying of the Aral Sea and preventing catastrophe of ecosystem of Aral Sea Basin, which was developed by the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and adopted as the official document of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly.

The UzLiDeP believes that the UN constantly pursues an active and fruitful activity on ensuring international security, promoting ideas of a nuclear-free world, as well as solving urgent issues of sustainable development, as well as the many pressing global problems, environmental, social and humanitarian issues. The results of the current visit of UN Secretary General to our countrywill be another contribution to the dynamic and effective cooperation across the board, the UzLiDeP belives. The signing of the framework of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for 2016-2020 years is an important milestone in this process.