Abdulaziz Kamilov explains why Uzbekistan joined the “Peace Council” (video)

On January 22, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the charter of the Gaza-related “Peace Council” in Davos, an initiative launched by US President Donald Trump, thereby making Uzbekistan one of the founding members of the council. Presidential Adviser and former Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov explained why the country decided to join the “Peace Council” in an interview with the Uzbekistan 24 television channel.

“The primary task facing the Peace Council is, first of all, to resolve the Gaza crisis. Our President accepted Donald Trump’s proposal and gave his consent. This raises a question: why did we support this initiative? First, from a security perspective, we certainly have our own interests. Second, the tasks and objectives set before this council fully correspond to and align with the fundamental principles of our foreign policy. Third, we indeed have very serious vital interests in this region,” he said.

According to Kamilov, Uzbekistan is interested in ending instability in other countries of the Middle East, as several years ago some Uzbek citizens traveled to countries in the region, joined various extremist movements, and later attempted to create problems for Uzbekistan itself.

“A few years ago, our respected President pursued a wise policy and paid very special attention to developments in the Middle East. The most dangerous process for us was that groups from Central Asia, including from Uzbekistan, went to the Middle East, joined various extremist movements, organizations, and groups, and later attempted to return to Uzbekistan to create problems. However, we brought them back. After their return, conditions were created to help them reintegrate into a new social life,” the presidential adviser said.

He noted that such an approach was highly appreciated by the leadership of the United Nations, which, according to him, stated that the policy of the President of Uzbekistan could serve as a model for the entire world.

“That is why we can say that Uzbekistan has interests in this region, and this interest primarily lies in ensuring our own security,” Abdulaziz Kamilov said.

He added that another reason for Uzbekistan’s decision to join the “Peace Council” is the situation in Afghanistan, which has also deteriorated due to wars in the Middle East, as extremist and terrorist organizations have mainly entered the country from that region.

“Before hostilities began in our neighboring Afghanistan, there were no extremist or terrorist organizations there. But after the war started, where did such groups come from? They came from the Middle East. Of course, resolving the Middle East issue is not easy. Throughout the 20th century, the Middle East has been marked by continuous wars. Therefore, to resolve this issue, the entire international community must unite. Not only the United States, Arab countries, and Muslim states, but also Central Asian countries must act together. Every step must be carefully considered. Any step that establishes peace and stability will be an important one. We will continue our cooperation with the international community,” Kamilov said.

Earlier, it was reported that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had taken part in the signing ceremony of the “Peace Council” charter in Davos, Switzerland, making Uzbekistan one of the founding states. The event, chaired by US President Donald Trump, was attended by leaders, prime ministers, and foreign ministers of Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Paraguay, Pakistan, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Hungary, and other countries.

In addition, on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, President Mirziyoyev held talks with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

He also met with President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso during events in Davos.